Velvet Flames
by D-chan
Summary: various pairings :: Story 14 :: This is a whatif, fic. Such as, what if Orphen and Majic had met under different circumstances, like in the Tower of Fangs? FIRST ARC FINISHED
1. Prologue: Ware wa hanatsu, hikari no hak...

**:: Velvet Flames ::**__

Sorcerous Stabber Orphen

Disclaimer: I don't own Sorcerous Stabber Orphen or any of the characters mentioned.

Rating: G

Pairings: Krylancelo(Orphen)+Azari, Hartia+Krylancelo, Childman/Azari, eventual Krylancelo/Majic

Warnings: Slight AU, more-than-likely OOC, future shounen ai

Notes: Orphen will, for the most part, be known as Krylancelo, at least for the first few chapters. The story begins before the Bloody August incident. I'll try to keep the characters in character, but I've only seen the first fourteen episodes so I can't promise much.

"_Ware wa hanatsu, hikari no hakujin!_"

A young boy stood before what used to be an old pillar. It had crumbled beneath his assault, the weak spot having been hit and shattering the rest of the stone along with it. He didn't look particularly pleased with the results, however.

Another young boy, mostly likely around his age, sat a few feet away. He looked nervous, as he kept glancing over his shoulder edgily. "Y'know, you can get in a lot of trouble if Master finds out."

"No one's finding out," the first boy snapped irritably. "Besides, Azari-san gave me permission to practice out here."

Fine red hair sifted as his friend turned to shoot him a dark look. "Azari-_sama_ didn't give you permission to practice with your own made-up chants, did she?"

"'Course not," the first boy said, his sienna-coloured eyes glaring at the rubble before him. "Even still... I can't believe it's this weak! I should have been able to do that the first one or two times around..."

"We're still students," his friend pointed out, tucking a shoulder-length lock of red hair behind his ear. "And while exceptional, you're still only a child."

"Shut up," he muttered absently, frowning at the rock and tilting his head slightly. "Hm..."

The red-haired boy stood and dusted off the back of his robes. "We should get going. Classes will start soon, and you know how Master gets when we're late."

"Okay, okay..."

Both boys wandered off, both completely silent. Timid footsteps echoed in the empty area, even long after they were gone. A very small boy stood before the newly crushed pillar, staring in awe. Then he turned and raised his hands in a similar fashion of the boy before. A hushed whisper fell from his lips; a mimicry.

"_Ware wa hanatsu, hikari no hakujin..._"


	2. Chapter One: Zephyr? Zephyr!

**:: Velvet Flames ::**

Sorcerous Stabber Orphen

Disclaimer: I don't own Sorcerous Stabber Orphen or any of the characters mentioned.

Rating: PG

Pairing: Krylancelo(Orphen)+Azari, Hartia+Krylancelo, Childman/Azari, eventual Krylancelo/Majic

Warnings: slight AU, more-than-likely OOC, mild language

Changes: Orphen will, for the most part, be known as Krylancelo, at least for the first few chapters

_Chills ran down his spine. It was stupid and dangerous, yet he knew he was going to end up doing it anyway. He always got suckered into it somehow, but then, was it his fault he had a crush on his closest friend?_

_"I don't want to do this, y'know," he objected, pouting as he folded his arms over his chest. "We could get in major trouble for this."_

_His friend shot him a coy smile. "Then don't help me. I'll go alone."_

_He panicked. "I didn't say I wouldn't go! Zephyr! Wait!" She laughed as she skipped along ahead of him, running faster as her legs were longer. She was five years his senior and very smart, pretty, talented..._

_Then she faded from sight. Startled, he tripped over his own feet and fell flat on his face. "Zephyr? Zephyr?!" he screamed, scrambling to his feet. "Ze--"_

_A sickening 'thunk' echoed throughout the suddenly vast, empty black space surrounding him. He turned to see a sword gleaming in the light, impaling a pale body, dark, curly hair falling around a beautiful face... Zephyr..._

_"**AZARI!**"_

Krylancelo awoke with a gasp, his heart racing like mad. He clutched at his chest as though in attempt to slow it, breathing heavily as fear-borne sweat dripped from his forehead onto the blankets.

_'What... What was that? Azari-san?'_

A cool breeze caressed his hot face. He looked up and threw his legs over the side of his bed, walking over to the window. Had he left it open again? Azari always scolded him for that, saying he was going to make himself sick, especially in this cold season. This time he was glad he'd forgotten, though. That dream...

_'That couldn't have been Azari-san,'_ he thought, leaning lazily against the windowsill that overlooked the courtyard. _'What did I call her in the dream? Sphyre? Something like that... And it doesn't even remotely sound like Azari.'_

Comforted by the thought, Krylancelo smiled faintly and pulled away from the window, shutting it firmly and making sure to latch it. He really should get back to bed. He had an exam in the morning, a very important exam that would determine whether or not he was ready for the next level. He didn't have much confidence in himself, but he would do it. If not for himself, then for Azari.

He'd do _anything_ for her.

"Oh, _shit!_"

Golden eyes rolled up towards the ceiling and a frown played on the red-haired boy's lips as the curse echoed throughout the halls. "Y'know, you're really going to get in trouble someday," he remarked acidly as his friend came to a halt before him, gasping for breath. "Swearing like that... What happened to you?" he asked suddenly, noticing his friend's pale complexion and odd shortness of breath.

"Huh?" was all Krylancelo could gasp.

"Krylancelo... You're pale," he said quietly, reaching out and brushing his hand across the brunette's face. "And sweating. What happened last night?"

"Last night?" Krylancelo straightened up, a thoughtful expression flickering on his face before it died. His shoulders lifted and dropped in a lazy shrug, the red folds of his robes moving with him. "I dunno."

"Did you sleep all right?"

Krylancelo made a face and playfully slapped his friend's hand away. "You're being strange, Hartia. C'mon, let's go."

_'**I'm** being strange?'_ Hartia thought in vague amusement. _'Krylancelo, you look like you had a nightmare or something... And a bad one at that. Why won't you tell me?'_

Krylancelo took a seat on one of the stone benches outside, lazily resting his chin in his hands as he waited for class to start. Master Childman had yet to arrive and only a few other students lingered about, most of then in groups or pairs talking about numerous different things, things Krylancelo could really care less about.

"Good morning," a woman's voice said cheerfully as she knelt just beside the mahogany-eyed boy. Krylancelo grinned back at her.

"Morning, Zephyr."

Azari blinked in surprise. "What?"

Hartia shot his best friend a suspicious look. _'Zephyr?'_

Krylancelo looked lost suddenly, blinking rapidly as though trying to clear his head. He gave it a small shake before he looked back at Azari. "What's wrong, Azari-san?"

"Did you just call me Zephyr?" she asked, sounding vaguely disturbed.

He shook his head. "No, I don't think so..."

_'He doesn't... What?'_ Hartia was beyond confused now and very, very suspicious. Something had to have happened last night... But maybe even Krylancelo didn't remember it. He looked calm enough, but he still looked almost sickeningly pale.

"Azari, Krylancelo. Come up, please." Childman's deep, unbelievably neutral voice glided across the courtyard. All students present stood as Azari and Krylancelo obediently made their way to the front. It was their exam day, Krylancelo remembered.

Azari pulled him aside for a moment. "Just remember; relax and focus only on you task," she whispered, smiling encouragingly. He nodded eagerly, perhaps a bit too eagerly because she found it amusing and chuckled. He ducked his head and raised his arms at his master's signal.

"_Hikari yo!_"

Krylancelo felt his eye twitching. For nearly the entire class Hartia had been shooting him funny looks and they were really starting to get on his nerves.

"**_What?_**"

Hartia started at the sudden outburst but recollected himself quickly. "Why did you call Azari-sama 'Zephyr'?"

Krylancelo shot him a dark look, opening his mouth to say that he _hadn't_ called her that...

_"Zephyr? Zephyr?!"_

He blinked as something faded as quickly as it had come, the words slipping through the crevices of time as he tried to get them back. He simply shrugged. "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't remember calling her that."

He'd done it again, Hartia realized. He's had a strange flash of... Something. But it had obviously gotten away again, because then Krylancelo was back to normal and acted as though not a moment had passed, even if several had.

Maybe it was nothing but bad dreams, but Hartia was still worried.


	3. Chapter Two: Weaving New Spells

**:: Velvet Flames ::**

Sorcerous Stabber Orphen

Disclaimer: I don't own Sorcerous Stabber Orphen or any of the characters mentioned.

Rating: PG

Pairings: Krylancelo(Orphen)+Azari, Hartia+Krylancelo, Childman/Azari, eventual Krylancelo/Majic

Warnings: slightly AU, OOC, shounen ai

Changes: Orphen will, for the most part, be known as Krylancelo, at least for the first few chapters

Notes: Eh, ends with a cheap, typical cliffhanger, but at least I finally got the chapter done, ne? I'll also be including spell translations from this point on, but only for new ones. I won't repeat any of the translations for the Sword of Light spell later on in the fic, for example, since I explained it here. Okay? Yay!

Spell Translations: Keep in mind; these are probably not completely accurate...

_Ware wa hanatsu, hikari no hakujin!_ (Sword of Light, whom I do release!)

_Ware wa kudaku, genshi no seijaku!_ (Origin of Silence, whom I crush!)

_'They don't have anything on clairvoyance?'_ the red-haired boy thought in disgust. _'What kind of magical school is this, anyway?'_

Krylancelo was sitting at a table not too far away from him, looking extremely bored. At Hartia's insistence they were at the library during their free time, though why he wanted to go there was beyond him completely. He was bored, tired and anxiously wanting to go out and practice some new chants he had thought up the previous night. Azari had already given him permission so he was eager to get out there.

"Got it," Hartia whispered to him. "Come on."

Krylancelo was glad for a reason to get away. He stood without bothering to push in his chair, though he knew if Azari were there she would scold him for being so careless. Hartia was making his way to the door but something had caught the brunette boy's eye. Unsure if what exactly he had been, he retraced his steps and peered around a bookshelf.

An older student was sitting at one of the tables, reading something -- in a very soft voice; Krylancelo could barely hear her -- from a rather thin book. A small boy was at her elbow, paying unusual attention to her. It startled Krylancelo when the boy glanced over at him with wide, innocent blue eyes. He blinked and gave the older boy a shy smile, a smile that died quickly as Krylancelo continued to stare at him and he quickly ducked his head, turning back to listen to the girl.

_'Something about that boy...'_

"Krylancelo!" Hartia hissed.

"Coming..." The brunette shot the small blonde boy another glance, surprised to find himself once again being stared at. The boy quickly averted his gaze when he realized Krylancelo had caught him, only piquing the older sorcerer's interest. _'I wonder...'_

He slipped away before Hartia could call for him again, rejoining his friend just outside the thick library doors. "What were you _doing?_" Hartia asked, sounding vaguely annoyed and merely slightly curious while he poured through the book in his hands.

"Nothing," came the automatic response. "I just... Got a little distracted, that's all."

Hartia paused. "Well... Okay..." _'Another vision or something? Perhaps...'_

Later found the red-haired child alone in his room, pouring through the single book he had "borrowed". Technically, he wasn't allowed to take it from the library, but he felt this to be a special case. Besides, the book had been old and dusty, as though no one had touched it in a good long while. No one would be missing it, not for a while, anyway.

_'Naa... None of this sounds like what Krylancelo might be experiencing,'_ the freckled youth thought in frustration, chewing on his lower lip. This wasn't good. If he couldn't find out what was wrong, it was definitely going to keep affecting his friend until he started showing systems during class. Then... Well, Hartia wasn't sure what would happen then, but if any of the other jealous masters, like Flameheart, found out, they'd be sure to lock Krylancelo up and do something to him. That something might even be along the lines of experimenting on him, keeping him isolated, draining him of his powers to further prevent whatever was happening...

Hartia shuddered. He couldn't let them do that to his friend. He really couldn't. It wasn't just the automatic loyalty that came with friendship... It was something just a little deeper than that.

He could admit to himself, he probably had a crush of some sort on his best friend. But, the way he saw it, it wasn't anything serious. He didn't mind at all that Krylancelo seemed smitten with Azari, and he didn't get excited when the other boy touched him or spoke to him. He could receive all that normally and respond normally. It didn't make his heart pound or his blood run hot or cold. He simply admired his friend; admired his raw potential and obvious determination.

Hartia smiled to himself, shaking his head as he gently turned over a worn page. _'So, technically, that doesn't make me gay or a homosexual or anything. I just admire my best friend. Nothing wrong with that.'_ There was nothing wrong with that at all.

The door was thrown open without warning, causing the golden-eyed boy to start, his hand shutting the book automatically as guilt washed through him. "O~i, Hartia," Krylancelo said in a loud, irritated voice. "You hypocrite. You yell at me for being late this morning and you can't even be on time to meet **me** tonight?"

"Ah..." Hartia gave him an apologetic look, shoving the book under his pillow. "I apologize. I was just studying."

Krylancelo gave him a suspicious look, but it died quickly. "Aa, whatever. C'mon, Azari gave me free reign again tonight! We can go after dinner," he announced excitedly. By 'free reign' he meant that he was allowed to use the special training area.

"Must we?" Hartia sighed, walking beside his friend as they made their way down the wide hallways.

"Yes," Krylancelo said simply. "It wouldn't be so boring, y'know, if you'd train with me."

Red strands flew as Hartia shook his head in a negative. "I'm not going to be caught practicing untaught chants."

"Your loss," was all Krylancelo said.

Hartia watched him for a long moment. _'... There's nothing wrong with admiration at all...'_

His sienna-eyed friend seemed in a hurry to eat and leave, so Hartia himself barely got enough time to have his own decent meal before Krylancelo was dragging him out again. Sighing more in exasperation than annoyance, Hartia allowed himself to be dragged, taking a seat a good few feet away from his friend.

"_Ware wa hanatsu, hikari no hakujin!_" A random rock exploded to dust and, for once, Krylancelo looked bored. His eyes lit up with a wicked look, however, and he shot Hartia a mischievous glance that made the other boy feel like the pit of his stomach had just fallen.

"_Ware wa kudaku, genshi no seijaku!_" There was a strong gust of wind and suddenly a chunk of pillar caved in, as though something heavy had fallen on top of it.

Hartia gaped, leaping to his feet. "Krylancelo!" he sputtered. "You... You've been creating **more**...?"

"Why not?" was the careless question before the brunette had his hand aimed at another larger chunk of rock, eyes glittering with the excitement of trying a new spell. "_Ware wa kudaku_..."

Hartia caught a glimpse of something golden from behind the rock. Something moving... "W-wait, Krylancelo--"

"_Genshi no seijaku!_"

Both boys were startled to hear a thin cry of pain that emitted from behind the rock being crushed. Krylancelo was so shocked he lost control of the spell and it dissipated whine Hartia cringed, running over to peer behind the cracked object.

"Krylancelo, look," he whispered.

Pale and with his hands shaking, the boy peered around the rock with frightened mahogany eyes. Curled up on the ground, whimpering softly in both pain and fear was a small boy. A very _familiar_ small boy with blonde hair that seemed to shine gold in the setting sunlight.

"Are you all right?" Hartia asked, kneeling beside the young boy. Long, thick blonde lashes parted to fearfully peer up at the boys before the boy nodded slowly. The next thing either of them knew, Krylancelo had grabbed the boy by his robes, clenching them in his larger fists. "What are you doing out here?" he demanded, taking a look at the coloured band wrapped around the boy's forehead. "Flameheart's student? You're not his imp, are you?"

"Krylancelo," Hartia scolded. The other boy hesitated, noting the frightened tears in the whimpering child's eyes, before he sighed and released him.

"Sorry..." came the grudging mutter.

"I... I'm sorry," came the tiny voice. "I just... Want to use magic like that. Pretty magic."

Krylancelo and Hartia exchanged puzzled glances, though the former was clearly amused at the "pretty" adjective. "So you were just watching him?" Hartia asked gently.

The small boy nodded, his angelic face lighting up. "Yes! He's very strong! I watch all the time!" Realizing his slip too late, he clapped a hand over his mouth, peering up at them guiltily.

_'So he's the one from the library...'_ Krylancelo thought. He found it kind of odd the boy would want to imitate **him**, though. After all, Azari was the student roll model. It would have made more sense if the kid had admired whatever Krylancelo did that Azari could do, but...

"What's your name, anyway?"

Trepidated blue eyes blinked but the small child managed to respond in his sweet, almost girly voice.

"Majic Lyn."


	4. Chapter Three: Just An Offering

**:: Velvet Flames ::**

Sorcerous Stabber Orphen

Disclaimer: I don't own Sorcerous Stabber Orphen or any of the characters mentioned.

Rating: PG

Pairings: Krylancelo(Orphen)+Azari, Hartia+Krylancelo, Childman+Azari/Azari+Childman, eventual Krylancelo/Majic

Warnings: language, slight shounen ai

Changes: Orphen will, for the most part, be known as Krylancelo, at least for the first few chapters

Notes: ^^; Sorry it took so long. I was in an Orphen slump for a while. But my oh-so-wonderful Kat-chan muse gave me an idea and I finally saw the last five episodes of the first series and—GAH! Majic has MORE moments of glory! *spins* I love Majic... I really do. He's so adorable and cute and sweet and mostly selfless and funny and-- *ranting continues...*

The barest shifting of cloth alerted both of the young students. One raised an eyebrow in amusement while the other appeared to be having a problem holding back from lashing out at... something.

"Now, Krylancelo," Hartia said mildly, obviously enjoying the irritation that simple sound had caused his friend. "We don't want to hurt him. Flameheart-senpai will have Childman fired before you could say 'unfair' and you know it."

"It's just getting annoying," Krylancelo hissed under his breath. "The following, watching him imitate me in secret... Not to mention if anyone finds out..."

Even as he said this, Hartia couldn't help but notice how the corners of his friend's mouth twitched, as though he were trying not to smile and look pleased with himself. The little boy, Majic Lyn, seemed to worship the ground Krylancelo walked on. It was often the two spotted him watching them. Every time this happened, Majic would quickly look away, obviously believing that they hadn't noticed.

However, two full years of this kind of behavior was really beginning to grate on Krylancelo's nerves.

"I think it's cute," Hartia said mockingly a few hours later, earning a glare.

"Do you, now?" was the sarcastic reply. Lately Krylancelo had been acting very testy. Hartia had the feeling it might have had to do with the blonde boy following them everywhere, but something else told him it was really Azari that was making him so edgy.

It was clear that the twelve-year old boy was hitting puberty; his voice cracked sometimes, causing him to blush in embarrassment, especially if Azari was nearby. Not only that, but he was growing more cautious around the said girl, choosing his words carefully. To Hartia and Azari it was amusing. To Krylancelo it was embarrassing.

"Oh, yes," Hartia replied with utmost calm. "Especially considering he's Flameheart's student and he's **nice**. It's kind of scary, don't you think?"

"Yeah," his friend agreed quietly, to his surprise. He studied his expression closely; sienna-coloured eyes were distant and thoughtful, sliding over in Azari's direction. Sighing in exasperation, Hartia leaned back in his seat. Sometimes he truly thought Krylancelo was hopeless.

Hartia rested his chin on his hand, smiling faintly. "When he grows up," he said slowly, watching his friend carefully for a reaction, "he'll be very cute."

Krylancelo blinked, turning his head sharply to stare at him. "Cute?" he repeated.

It wasn't that Hartia had called a boy cute, he knew. Krylancelo had known about his "preference" so to speak for nearly a year now. That was why Hartia found his response a tad bit odd.

"Hartia," Krylancelo finally said. "He's **Flameheart's** student. He--"

"It's just an observation," he interrupted, golden eyes widening innocently. "I don't know what you're getting to upset about."

Mahogany eyes narrowed to slits. "If you think that **I** find that brat attractive, you--"

Hartia covered his mouth just in time; Childman strode into the room. The two boys exchanged nervous glances before Hartia removed his hand and Krylancelo fell silent. Childman paused and stared at the two for a few long moments, one eyebrow slightly higher than the other. Krylancelo had a nasty feeling he'd heard enough to understand what was going on.

"You two have nothing to do?" was the quiet, mild question that fell from their master's lips.

"Uh..."

A small 'tsk' sounded from behind them. Both young boys turned to see Azari standing there, a sly smile on her pretty face. "So you two **don't** have an essay due in two days to work on?"

Krylancelo grew flustered and grabbed Hartia by the sleeve. "She's right, let's go to the library," he stammered before darting out, dragging the freckled boy with him.

A faint smirk flashed on Azari's full lips. She caught her teacher's eye, gave a sweet smile and swept from the room, taking great care to brush against him ever so slightly. His stoic expression didn't change in the least, though his eyes lingered on her for a few moments longer than necessary before he, too, made himself scarce once again.

Krylancelo didn't stop until they had reached the library, collapsing into a chair. Hartia sat across from him wearing an amused smirk his friend didn't notice for a good few minutes. "What?" came the irritated snap.

"_Someone_ has a crush on Azari-sama," said the red-haired boy loftily, still smirking.

"I do not!" Krylancelo flared, knowing his argument was not only pointless but also useless.

"Mm-hmm," Hartia muttered, grinning. "Sure. I believe you."

"You," he started to growl but suddenly cut himself off, glaring at something past Hartia. When he turned around, he noticed a familiar pair of large topaz-coloured eyes watching them -- no, Krylancelo, the kid hardly ever took full notice of Hartia -- from behind a rather large bookcase.

"Hello," said Hartia mildly, trying not to smile too broadly. Krylancelo was horribly short-tempered as of late and he didn't want to push him much further than he already had that day.

Majic gave him a shy, hesitant smile before stepping out from his selected "hiding spot." He had grown a few inches and lost a bit of the roundness in his still babyish cheeks, yet he still looked almost exactly the same. Mostly the same, really, just a bit... Taller. "Hi," he said softly, glancing around Hartia and at the irritated Krylancelo.

Golden eyes slid to watch the reaction on his friend's face even as he prayed for Krylancelo to hold on to his patience just a little bit longer.

Unfortunately, Krylancelo chose not to reply. It was unfortunate because it gave Majic the idea that it was okay, having the lack of a negative response, to continue to speak. "Anou... Krylancelo-sama, I..." He hesitated again and for the first time Hartia noticed his small, pudgy fists clenching something. He was holding on to whatever it was so tightly his small knuckles were white. "Anou... I was thinking--"

"Go away," was the sudden, flat response.

Majic halted his cautious advances. "Anou... I..." Now both hesitant and worried, he glanced towards Hartia for help, silently begging what to do.

"I **said**," Krylancelo said tightly, standing up suddenly, "Go **away**! I don't want to talk, I don't want you near me and I'm **not** in the mood to put up with you!"

The blonde child flinched, taking a few steps back. "Anou... G-gomen nasai," he said weakly.

For some reason, Krylancelo's face reddened. "For the last fucking time, go **away**--"

"Krylancelo!" Hartia burst out, quickly getting to his feet to stop his friend from attempting to tackle the smaller boy. He heard a faint whimper and the scrambling of feet. He turned just as there was a sickening thud, a shriek, and then Majic bolting from the room in tears. A few books had fallen from a shelf; the boy had apparently run straight into one in his hurry to get away.

"What was that for?" he demanded.

Krylancelo let out a long sigh and fell back into his chair, his sienna-coloured eyes appearing distant. "He never stops," he muttered faintly. "He's always been following us..."

Hartia sighed. "I know that, but that doesn't mean you--"

"He always finds a perfectly convenient time to interrupt me and Zephyr!" his friend suddenly exploded, his eyes wide.

"What?"

"I keep trying to **tell** her how I feel, but that **brat**--"

Hartia grasped his friend's shoulders, terrified. He hadn't mentioned Zephyr in over a year; he had been certain those weird spells were over. "Krylancelo!"

The slightly tilted eyes slid shut and another sigh fell from the student's lips. "I'll never understand him, that Mychio brat..."


	5. Chapter Four: Symbolism

**:: Velvet Flames ::**

Sorcerous Stabber Orphen

Disclaimer: I don't own Sorcerous Stabber Orphen or any of the characters mentioned.

Rating: PG

Pairings: Krylancelo(Orphen)+Azari, Hartia+Krylancelo, Childman+Azari/Azari+Childman, eventual Krylancelo/Majic

Warnings: shounen ai hints

Changes: Orphen will, for the most part, be known as Krylancelo, at least for the first few chapters

Notes: A~ri~go~tou~ Kat-chan muse! It's thanks to her I got this out so quickly. I demand you worship her. Worship her now! Bow before Her Greatness! XD

Now that I'm done raving...

I'm surprised I wrote this. I'm feeling pretty crappy (I'm SICK. I don't GET sick, damnit!) but I had this idea in mind. I just needed my Kat-chan muse to get me fired up for it. Thank you again, oh wonderful muse! ^_^

We'll get back to the other half of the plot next chapter. I promise. I won't leave Krylancelo's weirdness unexplained. ^^;;

He couldn't believe it. While worried he was still angry over the way Krylancelo had "handled" that situation. The worst part, Hartia thought while grimacing, was that sickening thud of a body hitting something hard and solid. He could only pray Majic wasn't hurt too badly; God only knew what would happen in Flameheart found out one of Childman's students was indirectly involved with the damage of one of his own...

Krylancelo had come out of his odd spell, seeming not to remember his explosion. He'd noticed the fallen books and had asked if it had been like that before. Hartia, tired of trying to convince him he was having visions of sorts as Krylancelo thought he was crazy when he talked like that, simply said yes.

His friend obviously didn't believe him, but he obviously didn't care too much, either.

Giving a weak excuse, Hartia had run off to find Majic. He was partially to blame; he'd just sat by and let the whole scene unfold even when he knew something was wrong. So the least he could do was apologize to the poor kid.

He finally found him outside, sitting amongst the rubble of the training grounds. His small body was perched on a rock, his fingers toying with something that glinted in the red of the setting sun. The blood-like colors made the boy's hair seem to glow almost gold. Smiling at the sight, Hartai walked over and sat down. Majic glanced up, startling them both. He was surprised to see Hartia and Hartia was surprised to see the bluish purple bruise that was making the boy's left eye swell.

"Hi," Majic said weakly, smiling painfully. There was a little blood in his mouth, probably from biting his tongue and knocking one of his top teeth loose.

Hartia took the sleeve of his green robes, wiping the blood from the side of the boy's mouth. "Sorry about earlier," he said quietly. Majic shrugged, squirming away as soon as he had finished. He returned to toying with the object in his hands, clearly and silently telling Hartia that he made him uncomfortable. Well, that was no good. Hartia would just have to try to make him feel at ease around him, especially if...

"What's that?" he asked mildly, pointing to the object in the child's hands.

Majic's fingers paused in their play. He once again glanced over to the older student before shrugging slightly. "My mother's wedding ring," he said simply, holding it up for Hartia to see. It wasn't just a wedding ring, he realized. The ring was dangling from a thin silver chain and the ring itself was silver, but faded, as though many people had work it before. There was the tiniest gem you could see on there; practically a speck of garnet. The color was red, but deeper than that of a ruby. It looked more like blood...

"It's nice."

Majic shrugged again, clasping the chain around his neck. "I like to wear it," he said softly, still fingering the ring. "I have to hide it under my robes so Flameheart-sensei doesn't punish me for wearing girly things. But it's mine. My mother gave it to be before she died."

Hartia blinked. "I'm sorry," he said uncomfortably, unsure of anything else to say.

The smile the boy gave him, though, was bright. "It's okay," he said lightly. "It doesn't bother me as much anymore. I like to think about... Other things."

The mention of 'other things' was so vague Hartia knew he was hiding something. "What kind of other things?" Majic just shrugged again. Somehow Hartia knew it would do no good to keep pushing; the boy tended to be stubborn in his ways once they were set. "That's a garnet, right?" he asked, referring to the ring.

"I was born in January," Majic replied as if that explained everything. Hartia had no idea what that meant. He'd have to find out how a garnet and January were linked.

Well, this wasn't going very well. Hartia decided to give it one last try. "What did you want to talk to Krylancelo about?"

That got a better reaction that he'd planned. Majic jumped slightly, his round cheeks reddening. "I... Um... That is..." He bit on his lower lip, cheeks flaming. "I... I wanted to give him... Give him the necklace..."

That was unexpected. "But why? You said your mother gave it to you."

Majic smiled slightly. "Well, yeah, but..." He let the ring fall from his fingers so he could look directly at Hartia with his good eye. "She told me when she gave it to me, 'this is a ring of love. Your love is powerful. Give this to the one you most care about. They will be protected always.'"

Hartia snorted but quickly turned it into a cough. Majic wasn't to be fooled, however, and he glared accusingly. "Don't laugh!" he cried in distress. "Don't!"

"Okay, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he said quickly, holding up his hands, unable to keep the amused grin off his face. "But you believe in that kind of stuff?"

"It was the one of the last things she ever said to me," he said stubbornly, quickly moving to hide the necklace beneath his robes as he continued to sulk, hurt. "I believe anything she tells me."

Hartia sobered. "Were you close to your mother?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "She died when I was three."

Only a year before he had come to the Tower of Fangs. How strange. Hartia wondered if she would have allowed him to go had she been alive. Had she been the protective type? The type that stood by and let her child learn from his mistakes? She had obviously loved her son somewhat, enough to give him her precious wedding band.

Hartia had been living in the Tower of Fangs as long s he could remember. Most children here had either lost one or both parents; Hartia had been one of the unfortunate to lose both. He knew that he used to remember their faces but he had quickly forgotten about them. Almost completely, in fact, up to this point. He began to wonder if he had even really loved them, or they him.

"Hartia-san?"

He blinked, coming out of his reverie. The sudden voice had startled him. "Yes?"

Majic fidgeted uncomfortably. "Does... Does Krylancelo-sama hate me?" he asked in a small voice.

Honestly, that was a hard question to answer. Hartia knew Krylancelo got annoyed with the kid often (who wanted a six-year old following them around everywhere anyway?) but to go as far as **hate**... "No, I don't think so." Hartia paused for a moment. "Unless by hate you mean whining about you following us even though you can absolutely **tell** he loves the attention..."

Majic's giggles ceased abruptly. "He **likes** it?"

"I think he just likes being looked up to," Hartia backtracked carefully.

Majic smiled down at his hands. "He's a great sorcerer," he said in an almost sad voice. "I... I want to be as good as him. I know there are better, like that Azari lady, but... He's different."

Hartia completely understood. Something about Krylancelo made you feel uncomfortable sometimes. There were moments when Hartia would feel a brief sickening sensation just being near him. At times, like when he was really angry or tense like he had been a couple hours ago, he practically radiated with frightening power. And Majic sensed it too; it was no wonder he had been so scared he'd run straight into a bookshelf.

"I know what you mean," he agreed.

Majic lowered his head. The sun had set long ago and now the moonlight made his fine blonde hair seem like a halo as it hung in his eyes. "I just want to be of use to him," he said softly. "Somehow, in any way, no matter how far into the future it is..."

Hartia could only stare blankly at that statement. Such devotion and admiration was almost frightening, but rather than comment on it he chose to remain silent.

A third figure stood with his back to a pillar, hiding him well from the other two's sight. He was alone and completely silent, his lips pressed together tightly and sienna-coloured eyes attempting to burn a hole in the ground.

So Majic had lost his mother. He was half an orphan. He wasn't unlike any other student here, naturally, but Majic was clearly one of the rare few that had fond memories of his mother.

He didn't want to stay around any longer.  Taking great care to leave with complete silence, he disappeared back into the dark shadows of the Tower.

_'I wonder,'_ he thought tiredly as he settled down into bed, _'if I'll dream of **my** mother tonight. Do you dream of your mother, Majic? Is she how a mother's supposed to be? Is she anything like... Zephyr...'_****


	6. Chapter Five: Similarities

**:: Velvet Flames ::**

Sorcerous Stabber Orphen

Disclaimer: I don't own Sorcerous Stabber Orphen or any of the characters mentioned.

Rating: PG

Pairings: Krylancelo(Orphen)+Azari, Hartia+Krylancelo, Childman+Azari/Azari+Childman, eventual Krylancelo/Majic

Warnings: mild swearing, possible shounen ai hints

Changes: Orphen will, for the most part, be known as Krylancelo, at least for the first few chapters

Notes: Um... The second half of this is sheer filler. I had nothing else to go with, so... Yeah. Sorry about the randomness. I'll try to get back on track next chapter. This is what happens when I work without my Kat-chan muse... ^^;;

_"Geez, Zephyr," he panted as he tried to catch up to his friend. It was rather hard; the cliff side was high and very rocky. His hands, arms and legs had numerous scratches and bruises already and his hair was disheveled by the wind. But Zephyr, of course, didn't seem affected by nature as he was. Rather than be hurt, she appeared all the more beautiful and excited, her eyes sparkling with the welcome of the challenge before them. "Can't you slow down just a bit?"_

_She shot him a smug look. "Maybe this is proving you need to get out more," she teased._

_"I get out often enough," he shot back resentfully, hoisting himself onto a small ledge that jutted out about thirty feet from the top of the cliff. He leaned against the hard rock, glad for a break. Zephyr reluctantly decided to take a rest as well, perching herself on what space was left of the ledge._

_"So how is Damyn?" she asked, trying to make conversation to make time pass by faster while he rest._

_Damyn was his best friend, best guy friend, anyway. Zephyr would always be closest to his heart no matter what happened. At least, that was what he believed..._

_"He's fine," he said dismissively._

_Zephyr arched an eyebrow. "That's caring."_

_Taken aback, all he could utter was a bewildered, "Huh?"_

_She shrugged, wrapping her arms around her slender legs, hugging her knees to her chest. "You speak of him so carelessly. It just makes me wonder if you're even friends."_

_"We are," he protested._

_"I believe you," she said calmly. "But aside from me you don't have many close friends, do you?"_

_"Damyn's close!" he said, blush rising high on his face._

_"What about Mychio?"_

_He made a face at the name. "What about him?"_

_"He's not a friend?"_

_"He's an annoying little brat. I wish he'd stop following me."_

_"Really?"_

_He shot her an exasperated look. "Yes, really. He just follows me, begging for attention... There are lots of other people to beg attention from. He should go attach himself to someone who has more time for him."_

_She smirked, avoiding his gaze. "Isn't that hypocritical of you."_

_He tensed, defenses rising. "What's that supposed to mean?"_

_Zephyr ignored his inquiry. "Let's start climbing. You're rested enough, and if you say you're not then I'll leave you behind anyway." With that she reached up to grasp a firm lodging in the cliff, pulling herself up and using her feet to find footholds._

_"Hey!" he cried after her as she began her quick descent. "What's that supposed to mean?! Zephyr!"_

_"Krylancelo..."_

_What?_

_"Krylancelo!"_

He groaned in annoyance, swatting away the hands shaking his shoulders. "Lemme 'lone," he mumbled incoherently. "Almost at the top..."

Hartia raised an eyebrow in question before he decided that the most drastic way was the only way. He locked his hands beneath the sleeping boy's back, grunted and pulled up hard. The result was Krylancelo practically flying off the bed and landing rather hard on the floor. A painful yelp emitted from his throat followed by a loud _thunk_ of his head smacking the nearby table leg. Hartia's physical strength was not something to be ignored.

"**What**?" he demanded, sitting up as he rubbed his forehead. "Damnit, that hurt..."

"Good," Hartia replied dryly, arms folded over his chest. "I came here to tell you Majic's waiting in my room."

Krylancelo stared at him blankly. "What?" he repeated, this time in honest confusion.

His friend sighed. "I had to talk him into trying to talk to you again. He's scared of you now but he has something to say to you."

Krylancelo stared at him blankly. Talk to him again? Scared of him? Why would he be scared of him? He opened his mouth to ask but Hartia was already jerking him to his feet. "C'mon."

"Why is he scared of me?" Krylancelo demanded, allowing Hartia to drag him down the hallway by his arm. "I didn't--"

"You yelled at him and told him to get lost," the golden-eyed student interrupted. "Then you tried to attack him when he didn't leave right away. You had another one of your daydreaming spells."

Krylancelo scoffed. Hartia was truly crazy if he thought he, Krylancelo, was **ditzy** enough to have **daydreaming** spells...

Hartia didn't hesitate at the door. He threw it right open and marched the both of them in. Krylancelo took in the messy room (people expected Hartia to be a neat person; he always took great care of his robes and his handwriting was damn near perfect) momentarily before a glimpse of silvery blonde caught his eye. He took one look at the small boy sitting quiescently on Hartia's bed before recoiling. "What the--" he spluttered, going right to the little boy and forcing him to tilt his chin back so he could see the bruised eye clearly. "What happened?!"

Majic appeared taken aback by the sudden surge of anger that had taken over Krylancelo. He cringed but couldn't pry himself away from the older boy's grip. "Did someone do this to you?" he demanded. "Who did it?"

Whatever fear had lingered in Majic's eyes diminished at the open protectiveness. He caught a glimpse of Hartia with his good eye, who was grinning and mouthing the words, _I told you so._ So maybe he **was** right... Krylancelo didn't completely hate him after all.

"I..." He hesitated then decided being honest would definitely work best. After all, it was what his mother would have wanted. She had been a pure, good person. He didn't know how he knew that, it was just... A feeling. "I ran into the bookshelf in the library," he admitted in a small voice.

Krylancelo instantly relaxed, releasing him and stepping back. "So what did you want to talk about?" His cool demeanor was back in place, and yet Majic couldn't help but feel a rush of warmth. He wasn't all that bad, he really wasn't... He really was special. There was **that** feeling in his aura again.

The door was thrown open, startling all three of the students. There stood Azari, her beautiful pink eyes narrowed at them in a way that made even Krylancelo flinch.

"What are you three doing up this late?" she hissed. "Krylancelo, back to your room. Majic, back to Flameheart's tower. Hartia, bed. Before you guys get caught!"

Hartia shot the other two a sheepish, guilty look before they did as told, not wanting to be scolded further. That had been quite embarrassing, he thought, as he finally laid down on his bed, not bothering to pull the covers over himself. It was too cold.

But that look in Azari's eyes had scared him. He'd seen it before but that didn't make it any less intimidating. He fell asleep wondering; should he be more worried for Krylancelo or Azari?


	7. Chapter Six: Foresight

**:: Velvet Flames ::**

Sorcerous Stabber Orphen

Disclaimer: I don't own Sorcerous Stabber Orphen or any of the characters mentioned.

Rating: PG

Pairings: Krylancelo(Orphen)+Azari, Hartia+Krylancelo, Childman+Azari/Azari+Childman, eventual Krylancelo/Majic

Warnings: slight AU, more-than-likely OOC, mild shounen ai hints

Changes: Orphen will, for the most part, be known as Krylancelo, at least for the first few chapters

Notes: Just wanted to say that I hope the ending of this chapter satisfies you at least somewhat, Artemisa-san. And thank you, everyone, for reviewing this far. It really helps me keep going. ^^

Cold, clammy hands fumbled to open the door. He was frightened, frightened to tears. He tried not to sob aloud; God knew what would happen if his teacher found him out this late.

He finally managed to make his hands work and pushed the door opened. It creaked loudly, making him cringe, but no one came to investigate so he scrambled inside, shutting the door a little too loudly. His heart was pounding against his chest, making him pant softly as he tried to calm himself. He was safe now. He was **safe**...

He kept reminding himself this as he collapsed on his bed, mind unwillingly wandering back to the earlier scene. He had been preparing himself to tell all, ready to give him his most valued possession...

And after that all he remembered was a frightening aura, furious bright red eyes glaring at him accusingly. Words cut through him like cold broken glass, making him more than glad to flee the room for the safety and comfort of his own.

_'How can Krylancelo-sama like her?'_ he wondered, wiping tears away with the back of his hand. _'She's... Scary. Does he only like scary people?'_ Would he have to be scary, too, to get Krylancelo to accept him?

He tugged on the thin chain lightly, pulling out the wedding band dangling on it. He eyed it for a few minutes, wondering... He had to give it to him somehow. But now, away from him, he was too embarrassed to just approach him and give it to him.

But then... How?

"Krylancelo!"

The red-haired boy was blatantly ignored while Krylancelo fumbled with the door before he finally opened it, dashing inside and frantically tearing his room apart. It seemed like he was looking for something.

Hartia sighed as he stood in the doorway, arms folded as he glanced around nervously. "Krylancelo, forget about it. It was just a--"

"It's important!" his friend snapped, his voice seeming a bit higher than usual. "I **need** it!"

Hartia tried not to smile. Though Krylancelo knew not who had given him the special gift, he had apparently taken a great liking to it. It was most likely because of the note left behind. Krylancelo had disposed of it, but Hartia remembered clearly what had been written. The details were as sharp as though it had happened only moments before, though a good few weeks had passed...

_"We're going to be late because of you," Hartia complained while watching his best friend grab what he hoped would be the right book._

_"You didn't have to come," Krylancelo snapped, shoving the book into his bag. A small clattering noise grabbed both boys' attention. Glancing down, Krylancelo was surprised to see a thin silver chain. He picked it up. There was a gold charm-- No, a gold ring. And the gemstone gleamed dark red, like a drop of sparkling blood._

_Both of Hartia's eyebrows rose in surprise. He recognized that ring. It was Majic's._

_The expression on Krylancelo's face clearly told him that he had no idea who it really belonged to._

_"It's not yours?" Hartia asked mildly, feigning ignorance._

_Krylancelo shot him a dark look. "No. Why would I need something so... So..." His voice trailed off and he settled for shrugging his shoulders. "It's not mine."_

_Hartia hid a smirk by quickly looking away, trying to appear uncaring. "Look, Krylancelo, we'll be late..."_

_Realizing his friend was right Krylancelo dashed out the door, Hartia on his heels. It wasn't until he opened his book that he realized there had been something else with the necklace. On a small folded piece of paper in tiny, very neat handwriting, was a written letter. While Hartia wasn't looking, Krylancelo scanned the short message, pausing to re-read it again as confusion built up._

_- Give this to the one you want most to protect. You'll know when the time is appropriate._

_That was it. There was nothing, not even a name signed._

_"Hartia," he muttered under his breath. "Look at this..."_

Krylancelo breathed a sigh of relief, clasping the silver chain around his neck. "Found it," he said in a calm voice, unable to keep from smiling.

Hartia wrinkled his nose. "Weren't you the one who said you had no use for such things?"

Krylancelo shrugged. "I might want to give it to Azari someday," he explained. "She might like it."

The golden-eyed boy said nothing, though he was inwardly worried. How would Majic feel if he found out Krylancelo gave his precious treasure to Azari?

"So why don't you?"

One moment he was looking into sienna-coloured eyes, the next they were dancing around the room as his friend's discomfort was displayed. "I don't feel comfortable giving it to her... Yet," he added hastily.

Hartia nodded and was about to comment, but then a knock interrupted both of them. They turned to see Rai, another one of Childman's students, standing in the doorway. His expression was, as always; blank, his soft green hair covering one eye.

"Childman-sensei wishes to speak with you, Krylancelo," he said in his soft, level voice.

Krylancelo winced and sighed, rushing past him without another word. Hartia stared at Rai for a long moment before glancing at a now-worn folded piece of paper on Krylancelo's desk. He picked it up, scanned it, and then handed it to the top divination student.

"Care to explain this?" he asked calmly.

For the first time in a while, one corner of Rai's mouth lifted in almost a smirk. "You're quick."

"Only you would speak in this sort of manner," Hartia replied simply, leaning back against a wall. "So?"

"It's none of my business," Rai replied. "He was the dictator. I just wrote so Krylancelo wouldn't suspect him. Adorable child, really."

"He asked you?"

Rai almost smirked again. "No. But he was going to ask someone that surely would have embarrassed him to no end, so I offered."

Hartia shook his head; amazed that Rai would have offered. Majic was, after all, Flameheart's student. Normally the three of them regarded the said teacher's pupils as annoying and arrogant as their teacher, but Majic was clearly proving them wrong.

"Too bad he's not Childman's student," Rai murmured as he walked out the door. "It would make everything easier on him in the future..."

Hartia stared after him in confusion. What was going to happen in the future? Then he realized that Rai was probably just toying with his mind. His powers were to seek things out, catch small glimpses of the future in very rare moments, important things, not see all of the future and every trivial thing.

Even still, he felt slightly uneasy.


	8. Chapter Seven: Fair Trade

:: Velvet Flames ::  
  
Sorcerous Stabber Orphen  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Sorcerous Stabber Orphen or any of the characters mentioned.  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Pairings: Krylancelo(Orphen)+Azari, Hartia+Krylancelo, Childman+Azari/Azari+Childman, eventual Krylancelo/Majic  
  
Warnings: AU, possible shounen ai, dark stuff  
  
Changes: Orphen will, for the most part, be known as Krylancelo, at least for the first few chapters  
  
Notes: Look! Rai-sama makes another appearance! XD He's actually fun to write about, and now I'm seriously contemplating writing a fic for him. If I must use one, I know exactly which pairing to use, too... *grin* Anyway, I'm not completely certain of the reason Rai covers his eye like that, so I had to make one up. So anyway, this chapter's just a filler, but it was fun to write about. I really should use Rai-sama more often; he's fun...  
  
Should I bump the rating up? I'm not sure if this chapter calls for it or not. Some people might be disturbed, but I dunno. I'm not very good at judging ratings; I could write something really gory and call it PG just because I described blood so vividly. ^^;;;;  
  
The chapter's kind of short; I apologize. I'll also be having to use text format until we can get Microsoft Word installed to our new computer (and Lord knows text bites monkeys), so sorry for any confusion the format may cause in comparison to previous chapters.  
  
Re-Uploaded Notes: GRR! It's Rai-sama's RIGHT eye! I've been getting it wrong all this time! _ Gomen nasai!! *runs off to fix Give a Reason as well*  
  
  
  
  
"Ware wa hanatu, hikari no hakujin!"  
  
The high-pitched cry caught his attention, though he knew it must have been on the other side of the school. Pulling out of his trance, the thirteen year-old student got to his feet with utter calm. Time to find out why the boy was intruding in his visions without even trying.  
  
Rai made sure his hood was completely covering his head before walking outside. Few knew why he did this, but he felt he had good reason. He may have been strange, but he was still just as human as any of them. He didn't want to be subjected to THAT kind of pain.  
  
Sure enough, in the training grounds on the other side of the tower, there was a little boy amidst the rubble. It hadn't been created by him but by students from Childman's class only hours before.  
  
Majic looked frustrated as he raised his hands, eyebrows stitched in complete concentration. "Ware wa--"  
  
"That doesn't sound like any spell I've ever heard," Rai interrupted. He spoke softly, but it was enough to jar the tense child. Two blue eyes swung to look at him in both fear and curiosity-- Or rather, one of them did. The other was covered with a white bandage, wrapped around his small head. Rai noted a blotch of fading yellowish-blue leaking from beneath the cover.  
  
"Dare ga...?" the boy asked slowly, hands lowering to his sides. Since Rai's face from the bridge of his nose and up was hidden by the cloak it was hard to see the colour of his headband, thus making it difficult to place who he was. It was obvious Majic wasn't one of Childman's students. If he was, he would have recognized the boy who hid his face.  
  
"Surely you haven't forgotten so soon?" he prodded gently.  
  
Recognition lit the boy's face. "Rai-san!"  
  
"Aa."  
  
Majic quickly moved to bow in respect, startling the older youth. "Thank you," he said happily. When the teenager said nothing, he quickly added, "For writing that note for me." Pink spread across his round cheeks, making the mostly covered bruise more noticable.  
  
Rai didn't answer, his gaze fixated on the boy's injured left eye. Slowly his hand drifted beneath his hood, fingers grazing across the spot beneath his right eyebrow. If only...  
  
"Rai-san?" Majic asked with concern, tilting his head slightly as he watched the older boy's odd action.  
  
"It's nothing," came the cool response. "But I must ask... What were you doing?"  
  
The blonde child smiled hesitantly, as though he were unsure whether what he was about to say was good or not. "Practicing?"  
  
Obviously. "But as I said once before, I've never seen a spell like that."  
  
The child's reaction was odd but comprehendable. He started to bite his lower lip, small hands twisting the fabric of his cloak. Clearly he either wasn't allowed or was too frightened to admit where he had learnt it from. Rai already had an inkling on that one, however, so he decided to let it drop.  
  
Uncomfortable silence settled in, unnerving Majic and quieting the clairvoyant student even more than usual. It was some time before the silence was broken.  
  
"Rai-san, may I ask you something?"  
  
"If I may ask something in return." Majic nodded, pleasing the older student. It was already looking out to be a fair trade.  
  
"Why did you..." Majic hesitated then mimicked Rai's earlier action by touching the bandage over his left eye. "It was weird," he explained. At the other boy's silence he quickly tried to correct himself. "I mean... Not that YOU are strange, Rai-san, just... I was wondering--"  
  
"It's fine," he intervened in his mild way. "I just had an accident myself once." At Majic's puzzled expression he smiled wryly, something Majic could definitely see even in the darkening outdoor surroundings. "I don't have a right eye anymore," he explained, pulling his hood back.  
  
Majic flinched, expecting to see a gruesome scar, but to his surprise all he could see was soft forest-green hair covering the right side of a boyish face. Rai's visible eye was an even darker shade of green that grew black as it faded into the center of his pupils.  
  
"Rai-san, why...?"  
  
Rai smiled faintly. "My question first, Majic." It was only fair, after all. He had wanted to ask a single question. If he wanted a second, he would have to wait. "Were you doing anything else while you were practicing? Letting your mind wander, perhaps?"  
  
Majic rocked back on his small heels, looking one way then the other, embarrassed for some reason. He finally just sighed and said, "Krylancelo-sama won't be back for three days."  
  
That was true, and now Rai completely understood. There were two different levels to this, the first being that Majic was clearly becoming unhealthily attached to a boy that could barely tolerate his presence. Krylancelo had complained, on numerous occasions, that Flameheart's youngest student irritated him.  
  
The second one was what Rai had suspected since the moment Majic had interrupted his meditation. The child had great potential to become a decent sorcerer, but he was refusing to practice the Tower of Fangs' magic, thus making him seem worthless. But when he tried this other strange method his power seemed to grow immensely excited, enough so that it broke Rai's concentration. This meant one of two things. Either Majic was harboring some frightening power or Rai had slacked when it came to building mental defenses during meditation, and he was assuming it was the latter.  
  
Majic was tugging on his robes, trying to get his attention. Rai tucked away this new information for later pondering and looked down at the six year-old. "Yes?"  
  
"May... May I see...?"  
  
Rai's hand flitted up to the scar sealing his right eye socket shut. He fell silent for a few long moments before shaking his head. "No," he said softly. "And you cannot tell anyone of it, either. Few people know, and I prefer it to stay that way." Clearly disappointed, Majic nodded, and Rai's single eye hardened. "You're not ready to see yet, anyway. When you are ready, I will know, and if I feel you absolutely must have this strange desire of yours fulfilled, I will let you know."  
  
Mature beyond his years described Rai well. Majic backed off, nodding in seeming understanding. He was still just a child, though... What did he know? Not enough, clearly.  
  
"Go to bed," Rai said quietly, pulling his hood over his face once again. "Unless you want to be caught and get Krylancelo in trouble for practicing illicit spells."  
  
Shocked, Majic nodded numbly before running for Flameheart's tower. It was a pity to use such methods on an innocent child, but it was only necessary. But now Rai was intrigued. Krylancelo was creating his own spells, which greatly explained his lack of power when it came to actual demonstrations. What was he planning to do with these spells and, more importantly, where had he learnt them?  
  
Well. It was just something else to consider while he meditated tonight. 


	9. Chapter Eight: Inevitable

:: Velvet Flames ::  
  
Sorcerous Stabber Orphen  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Sorcerous Stabber Orphen or any of the characters mentioned.  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Pairings: Krylancelo(Orphen)+Azari, Hartia+Krylancelo, Childman+Azari/Azari+Childman, eventual Krylancelo/Majic  
  
Warnings: AU, possible shounen ai, mild swearing  
  
Changes: Orphen will, for the most part, be known as Krylancelo, at least for the first few chapters  
  
Notes: Erm... Another short filler. I'd make it longer, but that might make it worse. Though it doesn't look it, this chapter is important to the plot. Um... Kind of. In a way. ^^;;; Yeaaaah... This is all actually going to lead into the first series' plot, so... Yeah. Just think of all this like an extended drama before the actual series.  
  
Look! Azari makes an appearance! ^^;;  
  
  
  
  
"Krylancelo?" a sleepy murmur came from his right. The addressed boy turned over on his side, raising an eyebrow as he propped his head on his hand. "Why are you awake?"  
  
He shrugged one shoulder, as the other was aiding in supporting the weight of his head, and muttered, "I just can't sleep. Something's bothering me."  
  
"Mm." A slight giggle escaped Azari's lips. He blushed, though it was too dark for her to notice. "Care to tell your big sister what?"  
  
Krylancelo shrugged, trying to keep his voice down so as not to awaken either his teacher or the sleeping friend on his other side. "I can't explain it, really. I guess it's that Majic kid," he finally concluded, wrinkling his nose. "He looked for me before we left and--"  
  
"I remember," she interrupted, muffling her giggles with a hand. "That cute child, right? The blonde one?"  
  
Krylancelo snorted. Cute? The kid was far from cute! He was a pain to him, something he wished to be eased of. But to Azari, yes, a wide-eyed, innocent, golden-haired child WOULD be cute. He felt an uncontrollable surge of jealousy at the thought, though he tried to quell it.  
  
"Sure," he muttered. "It just bothers me. He looked terrified. The brat was acting like I was going to leave him forever!"  
  
He couldn't see it in the darkness, but he could picture Azari's expression. Her eyes would be masked, one fine eyebrow arched in both question and amusement. Ever since she'd found out about Majic's "obsession" with him, she had teased her adopted younger brother relentlessly. Unfortunately, Hartia had thought it would be fun to join in, which made Krylancelo cross rather quickly.  
  
"It's sweet to have someone to care about so much at such a young age," Azari murmured thoughtfully. Unconsciously, Krylancelo's hand went to the necklace he still knew not of who had given it to him, clasping it in his fist gently. 'Someone to care about so much...' he thought absently.  
  
"Don't you have someone like that, Krylancelo?" she asked, startling him out of his thoughts.  
  
"I care about you, Azari," he said simply though his face flamed as he said it. She had no idea how much he really meant that. If only!  
  
As he expected, she laughed softly. "I mean someone you'll want to be with your whole life."  
  
Krylancelo started, shooting into an upright sitting position. Him and Majic, together for the rest of his LIFE?! The thought was terrifying!  
  
He heard her snickers and knew that she hadn't meant that at all. Furious with himself, he settled back down and mumbled, "I... I might find someone like that someday," he lied. 'I've already FOUND her, damn it...'  
  
"Mm," she sighed. "I already have."  
  
He blinked rapidly, ice cold with shock. She had? When?  
  
"Ever since the day we came here," she continued in a dreamy voice. He could picture her pretty eyes misting over with that look that he couldn't help but like. It made his heart jump unexpectedly; just imagining it did that. If this wasn't real love, he honestly didn't know what was. "I've known since the day we came here. When I realized it, whenever I looked at him, it was like meeting him all over again..."  
  
Krylancelo grinned, though he quickly turned over in his sleeping bag and pressed his face into the thin pillow to hide it. It sounded a lot like she was talking about him. Even though the back of his mind argued that was impossible, he blatantly ignored it. In this case, he felt more content to ignore the truth.  
  
"Someday," Azari was saying, catching his attention, "I'm going to tell him everything. I'll give him the most precious thing I can find... No, I'll make him something and put all my heart into it. When he sees it, he won't be able to help loving me. It'll be... Inevitable." She sighed softly in bliss, shifting to look over at Krylancelo who was staring at her in wonder, his face flushed and heart racing. "What about you, Krylancelo? What will you do when you find that special person?"  
  
Had anyone but Azari asked, he would have been reluctant to tell. But he liked to please her, so he said, "I'm going to give them what means most to me and offer my protection." Short and simple, but he didn't have a way with words like she did.  
  
She smiled. "That's just like you, Krylancelo. But you can't offer protection if you don't practice harder... Ne?"  
  
Nodding enthusiastically, Krylancelo smiled back and made himself comfortable. He shouldn't have any problems sleeping now.  
  
"I hope you find that someone soon," Azari whispered. "You may think you know who it is, but until the right time comes, you won't. Someday you'll look into their eyes and think, 'This is it. This is the person I can love unconditionally... Forever.' That will be the time for sure."  
  
Krylancelo wanted to ask what she meant, but he was suddenly very tired. He only yawned in response, turning over on his side and closing his eyes. He felt troubled, however. He tried to picture himself thinking those exact same words about Azari, but they wouldn't come without the confidence he felt needed.  
  
It couldn't be that... Azari wasn't the right person? But then, who WAS? He didn't KNOW anyone else so intimately, inside and out. Who else could it be?  
  
His hand clutched the tiny speck of garnet imbedded in the slim golden band still hanging around his neck. He exhaled softly, feeling very troubled indeed. Who else could it be? It couldn't POSSIBLY be anyone else... At all... 


	10. Chapter Nine: Goodbye Tears?

:: Velvet Flames ::  
  
Sorcerous Stabber Orphen  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Sorcerous Stabber Orphen or any of the characters mentioned.  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Pairings: Krylancelo(Orphen)+Azari, Hartia+Krylancelo, Childman+Azari/Azari+Childman, eventual Krylancelo/Majic  
  
Warnings: AU, possible shounen ai  
  
Changes: Orphen will, for the most part, be known as Krylancelo, at least for the first few chapters  
  
Notes: Thank you Muse-chan~! Kat-chan gave me some GREAT ideas for this chapter since I knew what I wanted to do but was horribly stuck. Thank you SO much! Praise Kat-chan, for she provides! XD  
  
  
  
  
Krylancelo grunted softly, shoving an extra robe into his small traveling pack. Half of him was excited; a real expedition! But the other half was both worried and annoyed at the people around him, and for once it had nothing to do with that annoying brat Majic!  
  
Hartia annoyed him. He was acting strangely around him, avoiding his eyes constantly and always making excuses to run off. If he was seeing some other guy, he could tell Krylancelo rather than just act all weird! He didn't care if Hartia wanted some "alone time" with another guy. He really didn't.  
  
Azari worried him. For the past few weeks she had been acting just as strangely as Hartia, though she showed very different signs. When she looked at him, it was like she was trying to read his mind. Her gaze was more focused and piercing, less day-dreamy and more frightening at times. She had also become intensely focused on research and schoolwork, more so than usual. He believed he had a right to be worried, but whenever he asked she would simply say she was just trying to accomplish her goal. She wouldn't say anything else, and it frustrated him.  
  
But this expedition... It would be the perfect opportunity! They would be alone for at least two weeks, as far as he knew, and they would be spending a lot of time together. He was fifteen years old now and Krylancelo firmly believed that it was Azari he was in love with, no matter how hard it was for him to picture himself saying those things to her. He would FORCE the words out if he had to! He wasn't taking THIS secret to the grave with him!  
  
A soft knock startled him. He turned to see Hartia standing in the doorway, his golden eyes focused on a point just past his friend's head. It irked Krylancelo that he thought he didn't notice. "Come in."  
  
The red-haired boy accepted the invitation, smiling faintly. "Excited?"  
  
"Very," Krylancelo agreed, dropping his bag back onto his bed. "Two whole weeks away from the Tower of Fangs with Azari! Why shouldn't I be?"  
  
"Um... Yeah," Hartia agreed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head and fixating his gaze on Krylancelo's bedpost.  
  
Sighing in annoyance, Krylancelo shook his head. "This is why," he complained. "Everyone's acting weird! You've noticed, haven't you?" he pressed. "How strange Azari has gotten for the past month?"  
  
"Um," Hartia agreed in a slight mumble.  
"You're acting weird, too." He scowled, folding his arms over his chest. "I can't wait to get out of here," he declared.  
  
Hartia shot him a strange look, only meeting his gaze for a split second. "But... You'll be coming back, right?"  
  
The sienna-eyed boy shrugged. "Um... Maybe, I guess," he said vaguely. Why should he? It was rather boring here, and the tension was driving him crazy. Anywhere far away from the Tower was VERY appealing at the moment."  
  
Golden eyes widened. "But... But you HAVE to!" he blurted, making the shorter boy start.  
  
"Huh?" Krylancelo raised an eyebrow. Why was Hartia making such a big deal about it? Eventually he'd HAVE to come back. Azari would be, and Krylancelo would always be there for her if he could. "Why?"  
  
Hartia hesitated, fidgeting a little. "I... I should tell you something," he finally said.  
  
The hand gripping the strings of his bag slackened as concern began to build up in the smaller teen. He'd rarely seen Hartia look so serious. The last time he had been like this it was just before he blurted out that he THOUGHT he was into guys. Was he maybe going to tell him the reason behind all his recent weirdness?  
  
"Well... I--"  
  
"Krylancelo!" Both boys started as Azari's voice carried from the other room. "C'mon, we're leaving soon!"  
  
Hartia appeared between annoyed and relieved as Krylancelo opened his mouth to respond. Both glanced towards the door and whatever he was going to say died on his lips. Just outside the crack of his door, a single blue eye widened and a short gasp emitted from the person hiding before they turned and ran in a wind of dusty golden hair.  
  
The two boys exchanged glances, both puzzled, before Krylancelo finally said, "I'm coming!"  
  
"You were saying?" he prompted his friend, slinging his bag over his shoulder.  
  
Hartia gave him a weak, forced smile. "Nothing. It can wait."  
  
Krylancelo sighed but shrugged and let it go. Both boys left the room, Krylancelo making sure to shut and lock it behind him, before they made their way downstairs to where Childman and Azari were waiting.  
  
"Took you long enough," Azari teased, playfully ruffling her adopted brother's chocolate-coloured hair.  
  
"Hey," he protested, jerking away. He had finally managed to learn to control his blush, and his voice had finally stopped cracking at random. He was much less irritable these days than he had been three years ago, something Hartia noted with relief.  
  
"Good luck," Childman said in his mild manner. Krylancelo nodded, noticing how Azari and his teacher stared at each other. There was a determined glint in her eyes that baffled him, but Childman simply nodded once and moved to stand behind Hartia.  
  
"Yeah," Hartia said, grinning. "Later, Krylancelo."  
  
He returned the smile. "Later," he promised, making Hartia relax marginally. He waved to fingers in parting and turned to leave with Azari.  
  
"Krylancelo-sama!"  
  
He froze, cringing inwardly. 'Not him, not him, please...'  
  
He turned anyway, just in time for a pair of pale, thin arms cloaked in bright red robes to wrap around his mid-section. Krylancelo nearly fell over from the weight of the boy tackling him. "Hey!" he cried, steadying himself. "You idiot!"  
  
He heard Azari's soft laughter and saw Hartia's smirk, which only angered him further. Besides, Majic's small nose was pressing uncomfortably between the ribs just below his breastbone. "Majic!"  
  
The boy pulled back. Krylancelo was shocked to see huge tears watering the crystalline eyes. "Be safe, Krylancelo-sama," he said in a strangled voice that struck guilt deep into the older boy's conscience.  
  
"I... I will," he said, thrown off by Majic's strange behavior.  
  
"And... And come back safe!" the boy blurted. The tears spilled and he clung to the older teen once more before he positively fled, threatening to trip over the length of his robes.  
  
Krylancelo stood there, feeling very awkward in the sudden silence. The front of his robes were slightly damp with salty tears. He wiped at the spot uncomfortable before he finally said, "Guess we should go."  
  
"Right," Azari agreed softly, her expression having softened.  
  
"He will be fine," Childman said to his mahogany-eyed student.  
  
Krylancelo tried to act as though he didn't care. "I know," he said airily, turning and walking past Azari and outside. The older girl shook her head slightly before following him. The student and teacher left watched until they disappeared.  
  
Hartia looked up at his teacher worriedly. "WILL they be all right?"  
  
"Azari will be just fine," Childman answered as though Hartia had asked only about her. Shocked, Hartia stared after him.  
  
JUST Azari? What about Krylancelo? 


	11. Chapter Ten: Invisible Borderlines

:: Velvet Flames ::  
  
Sorcerous Stabber Orphen  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Sorcerous Stabber Orphen or any of the characters mentioned.  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Pairings: Krylancelo(Orphen)+Azari, Hartia+Krylancelo, Childman+Azari/Azari+Childman, eventual Krylancelo/Majic  
  
Warnings: AU, possible shounen ai  
  
Notes: Um... Sorry it's short. It's filler-ish, but it's semi-important to the plot. We're getting closer to the actual plot, I swear. We're VERY close in fact. If I do this right, we'll be really getting into things starting chapter 13. ^^  
  
Thanks to both Kat-chan, the original Muse-chan, and Ivy-san, another muse-chan, for giving me so many great ideas. This fic wouldn't thrive without either of you. ^_^  
  
  
  
  
Hartia was getting a strong sense of deja vu as he searched for Majic. He didn't exactly feel guilty this time around, but the boy had looked so shockingly heartbroken. The deja vu got even stronger when he found him in the training grounds.  
  
'Weird,' was all he thought before he called out. "Majic?"  
  
The younger boy glanced back, not seeming surprised. "Hello," he said softly, one arm lifting to wipe the remaining tears from his eyes before he attempted to smile. "Krylancelo-sama must have thought I was a complete weirdo, hugging him like that."  
  
Hartia shrugged. "I think you just startled him," he said delicately.  
  
Majic shook his head. "No... He didn't like it at all." He sighed, suddenly seeming a lot older than just nine. "He never did, did he?" Before Hartia could answer (though how could he answer to something like that?) the younger boy suddenly said, "That's why I wish I was you, Hartia-san."  
  
He was so taken aback that he actually took a step backwards. "Me? Why?" he asked, bewildered. Majic wanted to he HIM?  
  
"Yeah," Majic agreed. "Because... Because you're close to Krylancelo-sama. He likes you. You know what to say around him and you can act perfectly natural even though you-- You like him," he stammered suddenly.  
  
It was like Majic had thrown melted ice on him. "What?" he whispered, feeling cold all the way down to his fingertips. How had Majic KNOWN? Not even Krylancelo knew! But then, no one had ever said that the sienna-eyed boy was the sharpest of mind... And Majic was impressively so, especially for his age. He couldn't compare to someone like, say, Rai in that sense, but he was still exceptionally perceptive.  
  
"And you're smart," Majic continued, smiling sincerely. "And really talented. I can't use magic. I try, I try really hard, but..." He flinched, glancing down at his palms as though to blame them for his inability. "No matter how loud I scream or how hard I focus, it just doesn't COME."  
  
By now Hartia was very flustered and unsure how to respond. Majic was far too innocent to try to lie, and his eyes flickered if he was even attempting to hide something. Right now they were shining brightly, not a waver to be seen, and his gaze was diverted to the distant sky beyond.  
  
"Two weeks," Majic said mournfully, shaking his head.  
  
Hartia started to say that it would be okay, Krylancelo would be back and be perfectly fine, but a dark voice intervened with practiced smoothness.  
  
"I need to speak with my student."  
  
Both boys looked up sharply, Majic physically cowering at the sight of his teacher. Hartia didn't even flinch, but inwardly he cringed. Flameheart was known to be insanely jealous of Childman's high ranking and respect in regards to the Elders.  
  
Hartia shot the golden-haired boy one last look before muttering an excuse and making a swift exit. The moment he was out of sight, Flameheart grasped his student roughly by the wrist and pulled him towards his tower.  
  
"Sensei, you're hurting me," Majic cried the moment they were out of earshot.  
  
"Silence," Flameheart snapped, stopping abruptly and dropping his arm like something disgusting. "Just what did you think you were doing, anyway?" he asked with that disturbing softness.  
  
Majic clutched his arm to his chest, though the only proof of Flameheart's roughness were red fingermarks making circles around his pale arm. "What?" he said, confused.  
  
"Displaying such disgusting affection for Childman's student," his teacher said, still dangerously soft. The hairs on the back of Majic's neck prickled. It was never a good thing if Flameheart kept his voice in control. At least when he shouted he was predictable, but when he got all soft and almost gentle like that... Well, it was the purr of a lioness before she pounced.  
  
"Do you really think that's good?" the man continued, narrowing his eyes at the child. "For one of my precious students to associate with such lowlifes?"  
  
Majic's defenses rose on impulse. "If they're lowlifes, why are Childman's students better than yours?" he demanded before he could stop himself. He covered his mouth, though it was too late to avoid the stinging slap on the ride side of his face.  
  
"You will stay in your room until tomorrow morning," Flameheart said tightly. "I don't want to see your face for the rest of the day. Go!"  
  
Majic choked back the tears that wanted to escape, not willing to give his teacher the satisfaction, and fled. Flameheart was left sneering, shaking his head.  
  
"Better than my students... Better than HIM, maybe, he's nothing but a failure," he murmured, more to assure himself than anything else. With a slight nod, he strode back to his own quarters to mellow out.  
  
Just outside the entrance of Flameheart's tower, where the incident had taken place, Hartia was pressed flat against a pillar, his face so white his freckles stood out even more than usual.  
  
'Flameheart hit a student... He hit MAJIC. Oh, shit, oh, if anyone finds out... If Sensei found out, he'd be PISSED...' He exhaled softly and quickly ran back to Childman's tower, hurrying to find his own sleeping quarters.  
  
'But... I can't tell anyone,' he realized. 'If I do, no one'll believe me, and anyway, rumor has it one of the elders favors Flameheart... Damn! I wish you were here, Krylancelo, you'd know what to do in THIS kind of situation...' 


	12. Chapter Eleven: Promises

:: Velvet Flames ::  
  
Sorcerous Stabber Orphen  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Sorcerous Stabber Orphen or any of the characters mentioned.  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Pairings: Krylancelo(Orphen)+Azari, Hartia+Krylancelo, Childman+Azari/Azari+Childman, eventual Krylancelo/Majic  
  
Warnings: AU, possible shounen ai, language  
  
Notes: Look! A longer chapter! ^^;; This went about half a page over the norm, sort of to make up for the last chapter...  
  
I had to completely get rid of chapter 11, since it was dragging the fic down. So the real action will be starting chapter 12 rather than 13. ^^  
  
Thank you to everyone who reviewed thus far!! You guys keep me motivated! ^^ Thanks!  
  
  
  
  
It had been quite a tiring two weeks! Never had Krylancelo imagined emotions could run so high.  
  
It had started normally enough, simply with Azari and him wandering about, hoping to find something of interest. It had taken eight days until they had come across the special island, eight days for them to find that one item that had caught Azari's interest so frighteningly quickly.  
  
"The Sword of Baltanders," he murmured to himself, staring at an old roll of parchment Azari had asked him to take care of. She had found it on the way back and, believing it to have some sort of link to the sword, had requested of him to hold onto it until she needed it.  
  
Krylancelo remembered the half-crazed, hungry look in her eyes when she had seen what the sword had done to a rat. It had made it bigger, better, stronger, more beautiful . . . Her expression had frightened him, but soon after leaving she had returned almost to normal. Only almost because the things she had said for the remainder of their trip disturbed him.  
  
"I'll show Childman-sensei," he had heard her mutter on occasion. "I'll show him . . . "  
  
'But I wonder when she and Sensei got into a fight, anyway?' he mused. He hadn't noticed any tension between them prior to this trip . . .   
  
A soft knock startled him out of his thoughts. Slightly annoyed, he called, "You can come in if you want, Hartia."  
  
Said boy stepped in only moments later, eyes darting around nervously. "Welcome back, Krylancelo," he said. "Have fun?"  
  
"Yeah," he responded slowly, concerned about his friend's odd behavior. "What's wrong?"  
  
Hartia blinked, golden eyes betraying his confusion. "Pardon?"  
  
"You're acting funny. What's up?"  
  
'Trust Krylancelo to be blunt,' the red-haired boy thought dryly. He had resolved several times in the past couple of weeks to inform Krylancelo of his feelings, whether they were returned or not, when he got back. And how here he was and he had forgotten everything he was going to say!  
  
Better to start slow, so as to gather his bearings, then. "I... I have something important to tell you."  
  
Sienna-coloured eyes flickered as Krylancelo's eyebrows drew together in a small frown of perplexion. When Hartia said nothing for a few long moments, he prompted, "That thing you were going to tell me before I left?"  
  
The entire thing was even being set up for him! So why was he so nervous? Suddenly, Hartia was TOO frightened of how easy it was. It couldn't be done like this. It just couldn't. So he blurted the first thing that came to mind.  
  
"Flameheart hit Majic."  
  
Krylancelo's reaction was more than he'd expected. First there was a sharp inhalation of breath and the smaller teen stood completely rigid, arms at his sides. Mahogany eyes contracted briefly before returning to normal. "What?"  
  
Hartia groaned inwardly. That had been beyond stupid. When he kept silent, Krylancelo swung forward and grabbed his friend by the arms tightly. "He hit him? Why? I know he's a brat, but he HIT him? HOW did he hit him?! Why??"  
  
'I think I'm jealous,' Hartia thought in faint amusement. He sighed heavily. He'd wanted to inform Krylancelo of this, but certainly not like this, and CERTAINLY not today! "Shortly after you left, I found Majic in the training grounds," he explained quickly, hoping for Krylancelo to ease his grip the sooner he finished. "Flameheart came out of nowhere and said he wanted to speak with him."  
  
"And?"  
  
He shrugged uncomfortably. "And . . . I followed them. I hid, but I could hear Flameheart telling him off for hugging you."  
  
Krylancelo appeared baffled. "For . . . Hugging me?" he repeated incredulously.  
  
"Yeah. Then Flameheart basically said it wouldn't look good for one of his students to associate with 'lowlifes'--" Krylancelo's eyes narrowed dangerously; he hated being insulted more than anything else, no matter how stupid the insult-- "and Majic said that Childman-sensei's students were better anyway. So Flameheart slapped him, pretty hard."  
  
Now Krylancelo looked torn between impressed and furious. "He talked back to him? He SLAPPED him? That bastard!" he fumed all in one breath, finally releasing Hartia. "He won't get away with THAT, the son of a--"  
  
"Krylancelo!"  
  
The brown-haired teen bared his teeth in a grimace. "He won't," he swore, shoving his friend aside and storming out. "I'll make sure of THAT."  
  
Hartia watched him leave, unsure whether this was a good or bad thing. On one hand, it proved that Krylancelo didn't hate Majic completely, which would make the boy feel better. On the other, it would stir a lot of commotion within the Tower were Krylancelo to bring the situation to light . . .   
  
Clearly, Krylancelo didn't care about either situation. He tore his way down the halls, ignoring the people he ran into, ignoring the questions they asked. If Majic would just confirm Hartia's story, people wouldn't have a choice BUT to listen to them. At least, that's what he believed.  
  
'Goddamn it that brat's ALWAYS around when I don't want him to be,' he thought irritably. 'And then when I do he-- Argh!'  
  
He was ready to give up in sheer frustration when a flash of gold caught his eye. He whirled and, sure enough, there was Majic. He was alone. Good. For a brief moment Krylancelo wondered if he even HAD any friends in Flameheart's group, if at all, but he brushed that thought aside as he strode over to him. This was far more important.  
  
"Majic," he said in a surprisingly firm voice, making the boy start. "We need to talk, now," he continued, advancing further.  
  
Majic paled and scrambled back, taking Krylancelo by surprise. He hesitated in his advancement. Majic backed straight into a wall, looking half terrified.  
  
"W-welcome back, Krylancelo-sama," he said weakly.  
  
Krylancelo tried to relax and soften his voice, so as not to frighten the boy further. "Majic, can we talk? I need to ask you something important." Mutely, the blonde boy nodded, though he was still apprehensive. "Good," he sighed. "I just have one simple question I want you to answer, okay? That day I left, did Flameheart hit you?"  
  
Majic looked panicked. His small hands tugged at the dark robes just above the waistline. "I... I don't remember," he mumbled, obviously lying. The simple lie set Krylancelo off.  
  
"Damnit, Majic!" he exploded, slamming his fist into the wall just beside the boy's head. A small yelp escaped Majic's mouth as he leaned close, sienna eyes narrowed to slits. "Don't fucking lie to me," he said tightly, threatening to start yelling any moment. "Did he hit you or not? Has he done this before? Why haven't you TOLD anyone? WHY THE FUCK DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?!"  
  
The smaller child promptly burst into frightened tears. "I-It was only once!" he cried. He tried to gasp for air between sobs, causing him to hiccup. "It was j-just once, and it was my fault, I shouldn't have s-said that, I r-really . . . "  
  
Krylancelo groaned inwardly. He hadn't meant to make him cry, honestly, but he tended to lose his temper when people didn't give him a straight answer. Guilt threatened to overwhelm him as the blonde boy's knees gave out and he crumpled to the floor, sobbing. Slowly, Krylancelo lowered himself to kneel in front of him, sighing softly.  
  
"Don't do that," he pleaded softly. "I'm sorry," he added when the sobs didn't subside right away. "I just wanted to make sure it was true . . . If he's doing that sort of stuff we can't let him get away with it, right? I just-- Hey!" he cried in surprise. Majic was now clinging to him, still crying rather loudly. Well, he was touching him willingly, so it looked like he wasn't crying because of him anymore. Sighing and grimacing slightly, Krylancelo awkwardly patted him on the head, vaguely surprised at how soft the boy's hair was.  
  
"It'll be fine," he murmured. "We'll tell Childman-sensei and he'll take care of it. If not, I will myself."  
  
He froze momentarily, hit with a sudden vision that seemed like a memory, yet it clearly wasn't.  
  
"It's all right," a voice very much like his own, yet deeper, whispered. "I'll take care of this, Mychio. Stop crying, now, it'll be fine . . . Tears don't suit you." A strange smile curved his lips. "See, that's better--"  
  
He jerked himself back to reality, fine tremors shaking his body. What was that? What had THAT been? Mychio . . . Why did that sound so familiar?  
  
"There you are! I've been looking all over for you, Krylancelo."  
  
Both boys started. The older one blushed furiously, scrambling to his feet and turning to face Azari. "H-hi, Azari."  
  
She glanced past him at Majic, who quickly looked away as though her stare would turn him to stone like the mythical seductress Medusa. "Is he okay?" she asked with mild concern.  
  
This time it was Majic that scrambled to stand. "Thank you, Krylancelo-sama," he stammered, giving Azari a fleeting glance before he ran in the opposite direction, bewildering Krylancelo. What the hell had THAT been about?  
  
"Krylancelo, I need to talk to you later," she said calmly, her beautiful eyes glittering with anticipation. "About the sword . . . Can we meet in my room, say, after dinner?"  
  
"Of course," he said eagerly, all nervousness diminishing.  
  
She smiled again, this time a more mysterious smile. "Well then," she murmured. "I'll see you tonight." And with that she turned and simply walked off, dark robes billowing out behind her in a way that sent shivers down Krylancelo's spine. Only bad was going to come from this secret meeting, but he honestly couldn't say how or what kind of bad. He just knew it would be . . . How else would she frighten him so much just by looking at him? 


	13. Chapter Twelve: Denial

:: Velvet Flames ::  
  
Sorcerous Stabber Orphen  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Sorcerous Stabber Orphen or any of the characters mentioned.  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Pairings: Krylancelo+Azari, Hartia+Krylancelo, Childman+Azari/Azari+Childman, eventual Orphen/Majic  
  
Warnings: AU, possible shounen ai  
  
Notes: Yay! Another chapter! With an actual PLOT! *sweatdrop* Even if it IS part of the real series' plot . . . But . . . It's fun anyway. ^^;  
  
D-chan has more stuff to recommend this chapter! Umm . . . First the animes Fruits Basket (SO cute and sweet!) and Gravitation (shounen ai~!). And then the ending theme for Gravi, "Glaring Dream." ^_^ I have it on repeat now. *cackles*  
  
Have fun~ minna-san~!  
  
  
  
  
Krylancelo hastily finished his dinner, ignoring the odd stares from the students around him. He could practically feel Hartia shooting him questioning glances, but everyone knew better than to ask. An excited Krylancelo meant a boy that would literally explode if someone tried to get in his way of what he wanted.  
  
"Excuse me," he said suddenly, jumping to his feet. With barely a nod, he dashed from the room and out into the hallway, leaving his classmates baffled.  
  
Even with his excited demeanor he was troubled. Oh, sure, he was vaguely worried about exactly how to approach the situation with Flameheart, but the way Azari had looked at him before disturbed him. Something was making her eyes spark as though ready to light fire. This wasn't the usual ambition she always showed. This was something frightening.  
  
Apprehension had long since settled in and it was slowly giving way to anxiety and tension. Suddenly Krylancelo was determined; he would tell her tonight or never! He wouldn't let her get a single bit of her research done until he said what needed to be said.  
  
His heart pounding for a whole new reason, Krylancelo reached the staircase that lead up to the girls' dormitories. He started up, legs already tiring from the run and now the climb, but it wasn't THAT far.  
  
He was so busy trying to calm himself that when the piercing scream shattered the complete silence of the hallway, Krylancelo nearly fell back down the stairs.  
  
He inhaled sharply. "Azari?" Panic flooded his senses as he scrambled up the rest of the way. "Azari!"  
  
He reached her door, hesitating as whimpers of pain emitted from inside. "Azari?" he called, unsure whether to answer. When she didn't reply, he slowly pushed the door open. "Azari, are you--"  
  
He broke off, eyes widening as he took in the scene before him. Disbelief flooded the sienna-coloured orbs as his body did exactly the opposite of what his brain told him to do; he ran forward.  
  
"Azari, you didn't--?!"  
  
"Don't look at me," she gasped, hunched over in a rather awkward position. "Krylancelo . . . " She took a shuddering breath then screamed so loudly that his hands flew up to cover his ears, eyes fastened in horror as her body began to twitch and writhe, changing shape right before his very eyes . . .   
  
"AZARI!"  
  
  
  
The first thought that passed the boy's mind when the explosion took place was, 'Krylancelo-sama!'  
  
The force of said explosion was very strong, knocking the small frame of Majic into a wall. He yelped upon impact, a dull pain starting to make his back throb. Screams could be heard all over the place: in bedrooms, from hallways, outside . . . Everywhere.  
  
Majic scrambled to his feet, hands shaking horribly. Something bad was going on . . . He had to make sure Krylancelo was safe! He couldn't just give him the ring and not try to protect him, even if Krylancelo had no idea it was his and no matter how weak he was. He had to!  
  
"Krylancelo-sama!" he cried amidst students flooding the hallway. He searched frantically, but saw no familiar messy brown hair or sienna-coloured eyes. Most of the students out here didn't even have a pendant.  
  
Somehow he found himself shoved back onto a staircase. The place was in total chaos; he had to move quickly to avoid being trampled by the girls flooding the stairs.  
  
Something clicked in the abnormally perceptive child's mind. Azari wasn't here, and neither was Krylancelo. He hadn't caught a glimpse of either of them. Maybe, possibly, they were together somewhere?  
  
Panic overrode logical thought. 'What if Krylancelo-sama and Azari-san are hurt somewhere?! What if they can't get out and the entire tower collapses on them?' The very concept made him gasp. It wasn't a single gasp, but several, quick and short ones until he threatened to hyperventilate.  
  
'I have to find them!' Without thinking, he went straight up the stairs, fairly shrieking at this point. "Krylancelo-sama! Krylancelo-sama!"  
  
"Majic!"  
  
He turned, startled, just in time to be caught by the wrist and jerked in the opposite direction. "Come on," Hartia was yelling as Majic struggled. "We have to go outside!"  
  
A strangled cry escaped Majic's throat. "But Krylancelo-sama--!"  
  
Hartia hesitated, looking pained as he was torn between getting Majic to safety and going back to find his dear friend. "I--"  
  
The matter was taken out of his hands, literally, as Majic's left arm was taken in a new grip. "Go," the soft voice of a young teenager said. "Find him. I'll take care of Majic. You, too," he ordered as Hartia ran off immediately, grabbing a nearby girl. "Come ON."  
  
"Rai-san," Majic said weakly, suddenly very tired. The situation was out of his hands. There was nothing he could do but get away like everyone else.  
  
The moment they reached the graveyard just outside the school, the little girl with them burst into tears. "My bunny's back inside!" she bawled. "I want her back!"  
  
"Hush," Rai snapped in an unusually taut voice. The little girl fell silent, though she sniffled a few times. Majic looked up and saw that his normally neutral face was white, his single eye glancing at their surroundings as though he wished he were somewhere else.  
  
"Rai-san?" Majic asked softly.  
  
Rai shook his head slightly, making Majic realize for the first time that the older boy's face was exposed. His hood must have fallen off while they were running. "It's nothing," he murmured.  
  
"But--"  
  
"There are just bad memories here," he snapped again. Majic cringed and fell silent. He wanted to apologize, but was afraid of another reprimand. Instead, he could only wonder what was happening inside. He bit his lower lip, praying to whatever God or gods there were that Krylancelo and Hartia were all right . . .   
  
  
  
Hartia finally came to a stop just outside the doorframe. Eyes wide with disbelief, he slowly stepped into the room. "Krylancelo?" he called softly.  
  
The figure standing in the midst of rubble didn't move. Mahogany-coloured eyes were wide and unfocused, pain glimmering behind them. It came as a shock to him, then, when Hartia touchedhis shoulder gently.  
  
"Azari," he whispered at last. "She . . . She couldn't have . . . She didn't do that, did she?" Hartia was pinned with a desperate gaze. It made him uncomfortable and sad; he'd never seen Krylancelo look so vulnerable.  
  
He didn't wait for an answer. He simply looked back down at the ground. On the stone glimmered a silver pendant, the chain having snapped from some sort of strong force. "Right," he murmured, eyes glazing over. "It wasn't her, not at all. Azari would never do something so crazy, Azari is normal, completely normal as any of us . . . " 


	14. Chapter Thirteen: Perfectly Okay

:: Velvet Flames ::  
  
Sorcerous Stabber Orphen  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Sorcerous Stabber Orphen or any of the characters mentioned.  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Pairings: Krylancelo+Azari, Hartia+Krylancelo, Childman+Azari/Azari+Childman, eventual Orphen/Majic  
  
Warnings: AU, possible shounen ai, language (mostly on my part)  
  
(( blah )) indicates flashbacks since I can't use italics still . . .   
  
Notes: This is only in regard to Seeker. Everyone else can skip this unless you're in desperate need for amusement. It's just a waste of space so I can explain a few things. When you read the gap between this rant and the next paragraph that should be the start of the fic.  
  
Okay, hun, listen. I'm glad that you love Rai. He's a great character and one of my favorites. But nowhere, NOWHERE in the summary did I mention Rai. I wasn't even planning on USING him until the idea just came at random. Rai WILL make a few more appearances, yes, but he is NOT a main character in this story. I'm sorry. When I get another idea for a Rai-fic, I'll be sure to write it. But he is NOT A MAIN CHARACTER IN THIS FIC. Let me make this clear: The two main characters are Krylancelo/Orphen and Majic. The sidefic was just an idea for those that WANTED to know about his strange behavior in chapter seven.  
  
Maybe I will add Hartia/Rai at some point. But if someone's just reading an Orphen/Majic fic in hopes just to get a glimpse of another pairing, and that is the ONLY reason why, then screw it. I won't write it here.  
  
Before you leave, please read the rest of this. It's also important.  
  
I don't mind people having an opinion on their favorite pairings. But I HATE it when they refuse to see the potential of pairings and just say that they don't work JUST BECAUSE THEY DON'T LIKE ONE OF THE CHARACTERS. In the summary, did I not say that there would be various pairings, but didn't I make it clear that there WOULD be Krylancelo(Orphen)/Majic? Didn't I CLEARLY SAY that this was a what-if story? What if Orphen met Majic at the Tower of Fangs? I'm quite sure I did.  
  
The last two chapters WERE supposed to sound familiar. I'm still using the same plot as the series, the major things, anyway, like Azari changing and stuff. I felt it was okay to add Hartia and Rai to those scenes since we don't really see the parts I put them in since, well, Orphen never flashbacked to them. *sweatdrop*  
  
If the fic bores you, stop reading. So far the only useful thing you've had to say about the fic was that Rai's other eye is actually still there. I'm sorry I missed that, but that's NOT important to the overall story. This story isn't about Rai. It's about Orphen and Majic. This is, undoubtedly, mostly a romance fic. I'll probably have a side of Hartia/Rai; I haven't decided. But the main points are Orphen and Majic. Okay?  
  
*sigh* And about the "Orphen and Majic being impossible" thing . . . It's not. It's really not. If you went to my site or read my DJ, you'd notice that I point out a few instances that HINT that the pairing has potential. It's not as obvious as Orphen/Cleao, but then neither is Hartia/Rai. They're good friends, right? Well, Orphen and Majic each have an odd form of respect for each other (yes, Orphen DOES respect Majic, he just doesn't show it often; you have to really watch to notice). Especially in the Revenge series; I mean, it's THERE. It's SHOUNEN AI. It has GOOD POTENTIAL. It's not as clear as Orphen/Cleao or Childman/Azari, but IT IS THERE.  
  
Majic is Orphen's apprentice. Yes, this has been established quite clearly in the series. But I there's so much more to it than that! That's just like saying, "Cleao is just an annoying cow to Orphen." (She's not; I like Cleao fine, so Cleao-lovers please don't flame me for that. ^^;) Orphen makes it SEEM like that's all the two are to him, apprentice and tag-along, but when things get serious we can see that he cares for them much more than that. I mean, yeah, overall Azari's most important to him, but Majic and Cleao have grown on him to the point that he cares for their overall well-being. There's just . . . There's just so much MORE to Majic and Orphen's relationship than just apprentice and master that it's unbelievable so many people can't see it!  
Now let's get to the part that really pisses me off.  
  
"I can't see why! What attraction is there? I GUESS this story has become like any other un-orignal."  
  
What right have you to say that? I was prepared to be patient with you until that VERY LAST LINE. What right have you to say that just because I prefer to write Orphen/Majic, which is POSSIBLE, I'm unoriginal? I have yet to see someone on fanfiction.net post their own Orphen/Majic fic. I know Ivy-san is working on one (^_^ Love ya, Ivy-san!) but other than that it is REALLY HARD to find Orphen/Majic. The last new one I recall finding sickened me because of the way Orphen's powers were abused and used for the wrong purposes. I find Orphen/Cleao scattered wherever in Orphen fandom, but rarely Orphen/Majic.  
  
It's not as original as Hartia/Rai. SO WHAT? Orphen and Majic is so much CLEARER than Hartia and Rai! This is mostly because the former have more screen time, but even still, it's much clearer! It makes SENSE. Majic totally looks up to Orphen to the point he leaves FIENA, the one girl I believe he actually loved, to follow Orphen. THAT is dedication. And Orphen cares for Majic! I mean, it SEEMS more plausible for Orphen/Cleao since Cleao is saved much more than Majic, so they have more . . . erm . . . tender moments. But Orphen helps Majic when he really needs it, such as in episode nineteen when he encouraged Majic, DESPITE MAJIC HAVING DISOBEYED HIM, to use magic to save the water in the crystal.  
  
If nothing else, the possibility is AT LEAST one-sided. Majic is devoted to Orphen. He leaves Fiena to follow him. He leaves the most ELITE SORCERER'S ACADEMY to follow him, even though in comparison Orphen is most likely second-rate. Majic COMPLETELY IGNORES Erris' feelings for him in the second series, despite how obvious they are, because he's blinded by his dedication to Orphen. Erris said so herself! Majic would risk his life for Orphen (he did once!). No matter how many times Orphen has hit him, no matter how many times the older sorcerer puts him down, no matter what bad things Orphen says to or about him, MAJIC DOESN'T CARE. He STAYS with him, and most likely will until he's a full-fledged sorcerer and Orphen has to FORCE him to leave . . . IF Orphen forces him to leave.  
  
It's a lot harder to see Orphen's affection for Majic, no matter how slight, unless you have seen the second series. I will only say this so as not to give too many spoilers: Orphen is NOT to type to think, repeatedly, "Majic, wait for me," if he doesn't give a rat's ass about him. Orphen is NOT the type to hold an injured teenager like that unless he is seriously concerned. Orphen didn't think about the enemy all the way to the base. He hardly gave them a second thought until Majic was safe and out of immediate harm's way.  
  
But anyway, my point about your last comment is that I have YET to see someone write a story like this. I have YET to see someone make only a few differences in an actual anime's plot just to make certain things work out, and actually pull it off. And I don't want to sound conceited, but I have fucking YET for someone to tell me a fic of mine is unoriginal. You go from saying I have original concepts to saying my entire fic is unoriginal. For God's sake, child, please make up your mind!  
  
With Rai, I know only as much as anyone else. He's mysterious, quiet, and has clairvoyant powers. His past; I made it up. It's never revealed, so I made one up for him. I know NOTHING except what we see in the series. After that I can only improvise.  
  
I didn't mean to make it this long. I apologize. But I hope it got my point across, and if you still have a complaint, E-MAIL it to me so I don't have to indirectly involve anyone else in this. Please. Out of sheer courtesy. If you want to know what little I DO know about Rai, e-mail me. My e-mail isn't hidden on my bio page. And I'm done wasting space here. I have so much more to say, but I'm sick of this and am DONE.  
  
Sorry if I offended anyone else.  
  
  
  
  
He dreaded doing this, knowing the answer he would receive, but concern overrode all anxiety. It had been three days already since Azari had "broken the rules" as the adults put it. "Practically committed suicide" was more like it to him.  
  
Hartia rapped gently on Krylancelo's bedroom door. "Go away!" was the instant response.  
  
He sighed. "Krylancelo, please come out."  
  
"NO!" was the indignant cry. "Not until I wake up!" Hartia cringed; his friend had been saying such strange things like that ever since he'd found him standing stock-still in shock exactly three nights ago. He had clearly driven himself into denial, though he also clearly realized that if he came out of his room, into the hallways where Azari walked no more, then reality would slap him hard in the face . . . And it would hurt like hell.  
  
"At least get something to eat," he said in a voice just above a whisper, fearing his voice would crack. Tears filled his eyes, both of frustration and sadness, but he tried to blink them away. "Please, Krylancelo. You'll starve yourself."  
  
"I'm fine. GO AWAY!" Something crashed into the door and shattered. Hartia choked on the air that rushed into his lungs from the surprised gasp, taking a step back. Krylancelo was getting worse. If something wasn't done soon . . .   
  
But even Childman had tried, once, to get Krylancelo out. All he'd gotten was Krylancelo to lock the door. He didn't dare intrude with magic; God only knew what Krylancelo would do in defense. He was becoming severely unstable.  
  
It was useless, at least right now. Hartia sighed again and slowly walked away, feeling depressed and, quite honestly, worthless. He was supposed to be Krylancelo's best friend. So why couldn't he help him when he most needed help?  
  
He was completely worthless in this situation . . .   
  
  
  
Childman leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. It had been rather stressful the past couple of days, though the only strain he showed was a flicker of pain in his eyes. In all honesty, Flameheart wasn't making the situation any easier.  
  
"She was your student," he had pointed out in what was for Flameheart, innocent. "I think you can handle the situation perfectly well." It didn't help that one of the elders completely backed Flameheart up. So Childman was left to deal with the messy situation and rumors.  
  
That was the least of his worries, however. One thing that bothered him was the threat Flameheart had made the night after what people were calling "The Azari Incident." The words had been branded into his mind like hot iron and refused to leave him alone, popping up just when he had found a nice calm space in which to NOT think.  
  
(( "The elders are planning to kill her, Childman. You know that, right? Better be careful . . . You already seem to be quite suspicious to them. It seems one or two of your students are practicing illicit spells. You know better, right? Ah, as I thought. Just be wary, Childman. I'm watching your every move ever day . . . " ))  
  
Disturbing as it was, it was also not his major concern. What he was worried about most, or rather who, was Azari.  
  
(( "Childman-sensei . . . May . . . May I speak with you alone, please?" ))  
  
He sighed heavily, pressing his thumb and forefinger to the bridge of his nose to quell the oncoming headache. 'I am sorry, Azari. I only did what I thought was best . . . But I shall take responsibility for it all.'  
  
Resolution in mind, he stood and strode out to the hallway. For the past couple of days, Hartia had been spending most of his time in the library, something he had noticed quickly. What the child was doing he honestly didn't know, but if it had anything to do with Krylancelo, which it most likely did, then . . .   
  
He found him exactly where he had expected to. Sitting alone at a table, surrounded by various books, was a fifteen-year-old red-haired teenager. He looked tired, eyes quickly scanning pages as he flipped through numerous titles. Out of all his students, Hartia was definitely the closest to Krylancelo, and thus the most concerned.  
  
"Hartia," he said softly, bringing the boy to attention.  
  
"Y-yes, Sensei?" he asked, stammering from being taken off guard.  
  
"I need you to go tell Krylancelo that the funeral will begin in a couple hours," he said smoothly. They were holding a funeral for Azari, the sorceress. She had died in a sense . . . Or perhaps had just been hidden from sight.  
  
Mildly startled by the request, Hartia closed the book he had been reading. "Yes, Sensei." He departed quickly, which left Childman virtually alone.  
  
He glanced at one of the books, picking it up to read the title. Whatever he had been expecting, it certainly wasn't there. His eyes widened visibly, if only slightly, as he read the title aloud.  
  
"Interpreting Dreams of a Psychic: Past and Future Lives . . . ?"  
  
  
  
A small hand hovered, hesitant, before drawing back. Majic bit a knuckle, easily portraying his worry. 'Krylancelo-sama . . . ' he thought sadly. 'I... I don't know if I should . . . '  
  
Now was one of the times he desperately wished he could have someone close to confide in. Oh, sure, Hartia was nice enough to him and he had told him a few things he was too embarrassed to tell Krylancelo, and Rai didn't seem to mind him much, but he felt this was too important to tell them. It concerned Krylancelo only, at least, he believed it did . . .   
  
Taking a steadying breath, he mustered up his courage and knocked.  
  
"What?" came the irritable snap. "Hartia, go away!"  
  
Majic leaned forward, resting his forehead on the door. "I... It's me, Krylancelo-sama," he called.  
  
A slight pause, and then . . . "Go away." He didn't sound quite as angry, perhaps because up until this point Majic hadn't tried to bother him while he had locked himself in his room.  
  
"I... I can't, Krylancelo-sama."  
  
When Krylancelo spoke next, he sounded a lot closer, like he had moved toward the door. "I don't want to talk, Majic, and quite frankly, you annoy me. So just go."  
  
Tears stung the blonde boy's eyes, but he blinked them back. "It's about Azari," he finally confessed.  
  
There was a long, elongated pause before the door finally cracked open and one sienna-coloured eye peered out at him. "What?" Krylancelo asked sharply. "If you're lying--"  
  
"I wouldn't lie!"  
  
This time the silence seemed to stretch into forever. Majic's eyebrows furrowed, staring at Krylancelo with pleading eyes that begged him to understand. Finally, to his surprise, the other boy's eye disappeared and the door opened a few more inches.  
  
"What about her?"  
  
  
  
Hartia blinked, startled to see that Krylancelo's door had been left ajar. What was going on? He walked toward it, knocking just enough to be heard but not enough to swing the door open any further. He would respect Krylancelo's distance; that he had opened the door even a crack was a miracle and blessing. "Krylancelo?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
Once again surprise, this time by the normalcy in his friend's voice, Hartia relaxed marginally. "Sensei says that the funeral is going to start in a couple hours."  
  
"Funeral?"  
  
"Azari's funeral, Krylancelo."  
  
His friend didn't answer for so long that Hartia thought he might have fallen asleep or something, but then soft murmuring caught his attention. Someone else was in there with him? "Krylancelo?"  
  
"All right," came the clear response. "I'll be there."  
  
Well. That had been surprisingly easy. Hartia allowed himself a small smile. It looked like Krylancelo would be okay after all . . . 


	15. Chapter Fourteen: Estrangement

:: Velvet Flames ::  
  
Sorcerous Stabber Orphen  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Sorcerous Stabber Orphen or any of the characters mentioned.  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Pairings: Krylancelo+Azari, Hartia+Krylancelo, Childman+Azari/Azari+Childman, eventual Orphen/Majic  
  
Warnings: AU, possible shounen ai, mildly dark, mildly depressing  
  
Notes: Heh. Sorry the wait was longer; I had a bit of trouble. But, ironically enough, I went through a lot of crap in the SM Crossover section and now I'm suddenly inspired again. *sweatdrop* And I already have an idea for a short-story sequel to this. Which I will never get to at this rate if I want to go through the entire first series. oO;; May Lord have mercy on our souls . . .  
  
And . . . Look! We're caught up with the series even more! Whee!  
  
  
  
  
Evening had already set. The sun was lowering itself into the horizon, throwing beautiful shades of rose and crimson across the once blue skies. It looked too peaceful, too pleasant . . . Especially during a funeral.  
  
The crowd of people was amazing, especially considering that most of the adults seemed to be ashamed of Azari. But this hadn't daunted the students' admiration of her one bit. It seemed everyone was there . . . Everyone but the one person that SHOULD have been there, anyway.  
  
Majic twisted his fingers nervously, only stopping when Flameheart gave him a sharp nudge for fidgeting. He hated funerals; they were depressing. But still, Azari had meant so much to Krylancelo. So even if Majic himself was scared of her . . . Well . . . He wanted to give her something anyway.  
  
Even if it wasn't as significant as anything else.  
  
Many female students placed personal items into the casket, pictures and the like. The oddest gift seemed to be from Childman; a single feather pen. When it was time for Flameheart's students to give if they wanted, only a handful stepped up, most of them the braver ones that didn't fear his wrath too much.  
  
Majic was far from brave, but he moved up anyway. He uncurled his small fingers and dropped something solid into it, so that it clanked a little too loudly against the hard wood. "I'm sorry, Azari-san," he murmured softly so that hardly anyone heard him, backing up quickly for those that really wanted to pay their respects. He avoided Flameheart's scrutinizing stare but was startled when a hand rested on his shoulder. He glanced back to see Hartia, unsmiling but nodding slightly as though to put him at ease. Majic relaxed.  
  
It was strange, actually. Only a couple hours before Krylancelo had been shut off to the world. But for a few precious minutes he had allowed Majic in, tempted by the promise of news of Azari. Krylancelo's reaction had been odd. Rather then become shocked or angry, he had suddenly looked calm, normal.  
  
"Are they?" he had asked with utter calmness, as though they were discussing simple outing plans. "I see. Thank you."  
  
Now the casket was being carried by two of the elder students. The trek may have been difficult, as they were carrying a rather long and heavy box up a slanted hill, but neither displayed much strain. Majic noticed that, a few yards away, Rai was looking slightly apprehensive. It made him wonder why he was so frightened of the graveyard. 'Maybe someone he cared about was buried here,' he thought vaguely.  
  
Once they reached the grave marker, the two students took a rest. There was a heavy "thud" as they gently set down their burden. Both backed off quickly and then there was tense silence once again. It was time for the eulogy.  
  
The speaker was none other than Azari's teacher, Childman. The refined man bowed his head for a few moments before he allowed himself to make eye contact with the people present. "Today," he said in his low, soothingly smooth voice, "we bid farewell to an exceptional student, young woman, and person." The silence was so great that everyone could hear a faint scuffle, but no one paid it any heed. "She had shown great promise in her studies; she'd had talent that far exceeded most students her age. May the higher ones bless her soul. Azari--"  
  
There was a sudden cry that broke the man off in mid-sentence. Many people whirled just in time to back off from the shape hurtling itself forward. Childman wisely stepped aside just as the shape jumped into the air, wielding what looked like a shovel-- The one that had dug the hole for the coffin.  
  
Before anyone could react, much less speak, the shovel was swung over the person's head in a wild, very ungraceful arc. The hard metal of the blade made contact with the wood. There was a loud, elongated splinter akin to a shriek, and then the shatter of pieces collapsing in.  
  
"Krylancelo!" Majic heard Hartia whisper.  
  
Indeed, once the figure had straightened and turned, sienna-coloured eyes wide and nearly crazed, the young blonde boy realized that it was true.  
  
'But . . . Why?!' he cried silently, too frightened to speak up when the teenager was in this irrational state. 'Krylancelo-sama . . . What did you do?'  
  
"Whose funeral is this?" he heard the boy spit acidly.  
  
Childman, who had maintained his calm expression throughout the ordeal so far, calmly stated, "It is Azari's funeral."  
  
The teenager tensed, his fists clenching at his sides as his body trembled with barely suppressed rage. "Azari's?! The coffin is empty! There's nothing in there!" he shouted, face flushed and eyebrows furrowed.  
  
His teacher didn't even blink. Majic found himself staring in awe; he was so unlike Flameheart, who was softly cursing behind him, muttering something about his mother for some odd reason. "I believe that she died," he replied. "At least, the sorceress Azari died."  
  
"That's stupid! Azari's alive!" Krylancelo's eyes narrowed, and for a moment he looked almost sane. "I know what you guy are planning to do. You're going to kill her! Kill her for your precious HONOR!" He screamed the last word like a curse.  
  
At this outburst a wave of murmurs arose. The Tower of Fangs was going to kill Azari? How? When had this been decided? Was this possible? The students that didn't know the whole story were asking even more questions. What had Azari, the role model student, done that was worthy of death?  
  
Amidst it all, Majic was white as a sheet. His hands tingled with the sudden loss of blood due to shock. 'It . . . It was a mistake to tell him,' he thought. It was the only clear thought he could conjure. 'But . . . I had to! If I didn't, he would have stayed in there . . . Even now . . . He'd have killed himself somehow, wasted away . . . Committed suicide . . . I didn't have a choice!'  
  
And yet, because of him this problem had risen . . .   
  
Krylancelo was speaking, now sounding hurt and heartbroken. His eyes shone with tears that glistened in the setting sun's red light. "Azari's not a stain," he said sadly. "She was . . . She IS a great person." He bared his teeth in a sudden show of anger and determination. "And so . . . I . . . I will be the one to save her!"  
  
"How?" came the reasonable voice of Childman. The question clearly caught the enraged teen off guard. "Do you not think that, were it within my power, I would have done so myself?"  
  
Krylancelo shook his head wildly, hands flying up to cover his ears to block out the sound of his teacher's voice. "Shut up! That's a lie! You WON'T save her! So I'll be the one to do so!"  
  
A few feet way from Majic, Hartia seemed to have finally found his voice, whereas the smaller boy's tongue was still choking him. "Krylancelo, please--"  
  
"I'm NOT Krylancelo!" the brunette cried furiously, blue aura building around him in a frightening manner. He whirled on the remains of the casket. Items were strewn on the ground, littering the grave marker. "From now on my name is Orphen!" To emphasize his point, he thrust his hand out, ignoring the screams around him. There was a bright light, an explosion, and then a mess as wood splinters and precious items went flying.  
  
Majic, now crouching on the ground and protectively covering his own head, stared up at the teenager he had admired so much. He was so different now, frightening, furious, dangerous . . . A faint whisper passed his lips, so faint that he couldn't recall saying it later on.  
  
"Orphen-sama . . . " 


	16. Chapter Fifteen: Wavering Faith

:: Velvet Flames ::  
  
Sorcerous Stabber Orphen  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Sorcerous Stabber Orphen or any of the characters mentioned.  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Pairings: Orphen+Azari, Hartia+Krylancelo, Childman+Azari/Azari+Childman, eventual Orphen/Majic  
  
Warnings: AU, possible shounen ai  
  
Notes: Phew. And from here on we'll have different settings! Go figure.  
  
I've been forgetting about Orphen's weird dreams lately, ne? I'll get back to those eventually, don't worry.  
  
Hm . . . Anou . . . You'll probably notice that I switch from using Orphen to Krylancelo and vice versa at times, but when it comes to Hartia and most other people at the Tower, that's what they'll be thinking and referring to him as.  
  
Um . . . Sorry if this gets depressing at times. I've been in a down mood lately because of certain complications in another fandom. The Pretear background music I'm listening to doesn't exactly help, but it IS oddly inspiring.  
  
Ah! Speaking of Pretear, here's a couple interesting tidbits: The same guy that plays Orphen, Morikubo Shoutarou, also plays a character from Pretear named Goh. He's a Fire Knight. XD And the woman that plays the main villainess Takako, the seiyuu Horie Yui, she also plays Tohru from Fruits Basket and Fiena. ^_^ And I like Goh and Takako. They're interesting characters.  
  
Eh. I know you're bored of my rambling. On with the fic.  
  
  
  
  
Expelled. That had to be the most horrible word a faithful student at the Tower of Fangs could ever hear. To be expelled was akin to being beaten, for you were thrown out into the world alone. If you were young, you were more than likely to be near helpless.  
  
Of course, if you were nine years old, it was practically death.  
  
While not completely unexpected, it still came as a nasty shock for the small blonde boy. Everything had happened too fast after Krylancelo-- no, Orphen's-- outburst, that it made him dizzy and ill. Or maybe the sick feeling was because of the falling sensation in his stomach.  
  
Almost right after the explosion Majic and the rest of Flameheart's students had been hauled back to the Tower. It had been a waste of time anyway, their teacher had said. Azari didn't concern them; they needn't have gone. It was only because the Elders had required it, so as not to make any younger students suspicious. Of course, now that Orphen had screamed out important information for the world to hear, it no longer mattered. The rumors would be even harder to stop this time, and this time Flameheart obviously knew he would have to take part.  
  
Majic had nothing to say. He couldn't protest; he'd already tried that and had been slapped for questioning. He was frightened of Flameheart, especially as of late, and he knew it was stupid to ask why, but he'd done it anyway. All he could do now was tug on his robes and breathe quickly to try to keep himself calm. His face stung from the hit; it was likely he'd get another bruise.  
  
Well, he'd finally found one good thing about being expelled. He wouldn't have to hide the injury from Kry-- Orphen.  
  
Orphen.  
  
Childish tears spilled. The act of weakness made his now-former teacher sneer.  
  
"You have two hours to be out of my -- and everyone else's -- sight for good."  
  
  
  
"Krylancelo!"  
  
The brunette boy refused to acknowledge him. His eyes were fastened to the wall before him, his hand absent-mindedly twirling his pendant on the chain. Soft clinking sounds from the metallic links were all that could be heard in the silence, until Hartia finally spoke up again.  
  
"Krylancelo, please . . . Why are you angry with me?"  
  
Sienna-coloured eyes flickered his way. "My name is not Krylancelo," was all he said before he stood up and began to walk off.  
  
Hartia hurried to follow him, eyes fastened on the pendant. The chain was whole, which seemed wrong because Orphen had broken it earlier. Also, the dragon didn't look quite as new . . .   
  
"Where did you get that?"  
  
"Took it," was the curt answer.  
  
Hartia bit his lower lip. "But . . . Why? Whose--"  
  
"It's Azari's," Orphen cut in, glaring at him. "I went in her room and I took it. I don't want MINE. It means nothing to me anymore." Then he slipped the chain around his head, letting the thick metal thud softly against his chest. He was no longer wearing robes, Hartia realized suddenly, but faded pants and a black sweatshirt that looked a few sizes too large.  
  
"Kry-- Orphen, what are you doing?"  
  
For the first time in three days, Krylancelo smiled. He stopped walking and looked straight at Hartia. "You're my best friend," he said in a soft voice, reaching out to grasp him by the arms. "You're the only one left that can help, Hartia. Please . . . "  
  
Taken aback by the sudden emotional outburst, Hartia stammered, "H-How? What do you want me to do?"  
  
Orphen lowered his eyes momentarily. "I'm leaving the Tower of Fangs," he said in a low voice. "Tonight. I'm sneaking out. I know how; there's a crack in the magical defenses." There had to be defenses; the Tower was chock full of precious items as well as knowledge that had to be protected.  
  
Awkwardly, Hartia promised, "I won't tell," even though it hurt. His friend was leaving, obviously to try to save Azari on his own. If only he'd talk to Childman. Krylancelo had loved Azari so much, surely Childman would have explained to him what he had to Hartia.  
  
"That's not it," Orphen said sharply. "Hartia, I want you to come WITH me."  
  
Hartia's body went ridged. Go WITH him? He closed his eyes so that his friend couldn't see his inner struggle. To go with him . . . It would just be Krylancelo and he, just like he wanted. Over time . . . But then there was Childman. Krylancelo was his dear friend, but Childman was not only his teacher, Hartia knew that how HE was going to handle the Azari situation was RIGHT.  
  
"I can't," he whispered brokenly, thick lashes lifting to reveal regret-filled golden eyes. "I'm sorry."  
  
Orphen instantly let go of him, taking a couple steps back. His expression clearly expressed he felt betrayed. "Fine," he spat before turning on his heel and talking off in the direction of Flameheart's tower. "If you won't, maybe the brat will. At least SOMEONE will be able to back me up."  
  
Now alarmed, Hartia ran after him. "Krylancelo, no, wait--"  
  
"Shut up!" the brunette shouted without looking at him. "Don't speak to me, Hartia, if you're not going to help!"  
  
Taking a deep breath to prepare himself, the red-haired teen burst into a sprint and tackled his friend to the ground. Orphen swore and tried to shove him off, but Hartia had the advantage both in the surprise attack and the fact he was slightly taller and heavier. He pinned his friend beneath him, shouting over his insults. "Majic is gone!"  
  
Orphen snarled. "What the hell are you talking about?" he yelled back, nearly succeeding in throwing his friend off him. "DAMN it, Hartia! I'm warning you--!"  
  
"Please listen," Hartia cried breathlessly. "Majic was expelled shortly after you disrupted the funeral ceremony!" Orphen finally stopped fighting him, staring at him in disbelief. The freckled teen was flushed, trying to catch his breath as he spoke. "Flameheart said he was useless as a sorcerer. Majic can't perform the Tower's spells. His mind refuses to tap into them properly.  
  
"Not only that, but Flameheart's furious that he devotes so much time to you. He yelled at him for waiting outside your door every day when you locked yourself in. He--"  
  
"He was outside my door?" Orphen interrupted.  
  
Hartia pretended he hadn't spoken. "Somehow he found out that you were practicing illegal spells and that somehow Majic had picked them up. He had two options: report you or get rid of his worst student. Majic is gone, Orphen."  
  
Orphen remained silent for a long while. Finally, he murmured, "Please let me up, Hartia."  
  
Relieved that he wasn't lashing out at him, the taller boy complied. "I'm sorry."  
  
Orphen clenched a fist, slamming it into the ground. "He knew," he whispered furiously. "He knew I was going to tell someone about his hitting Majic . . . DAMN it!"  
  
Hartia sighed. "Krylancelo--"  
  
"I'm leaving, Hartia," Orphen said shortly. "I'm not waiting anymore. I'm leaving NOW." With that he got to his feet, dusted the back of his pants and stormed off. Hartia just stood there, resisting the urge to ram his knuckles into his forehead. Shortly afterwards, when he told Childman about Krylancelo's running off, he was surprised at the response.  
  
"Let it be, Hartia," Childman said softly. "There is nothing we can do to stop him. Perhaps he needs this. If we are lucky, he will somehow learn from his experience abroad." Hartia stifled the urge to shout back that Krylancelo wasn't like that. He was far too stubborn.  
  
But he kept quiet. Childman was right about one thing. There was nothing they could do. 


End file.
